Eastern Notes: Turner, Sixers, Gordon, McRoberts
With the 2012/13 season officially over for 14 NBA teams, it's been a busy Thursday around the league, as teams look toward the offseason changes on the way in the coming weeks and months. Three Eastern Conference teams have parted ways with their head coaches, but that's not all that's going on in the conference today. Here are a few more Eastern updates:
- Speaking to Philadelphia media today, Evan Turner said he believes he'll still be a Sixer next season, and that his name has come up in trade rumors because he has value. He added that he isn't worried about potential extension talks — he'll be extension-eligible as of July 1st (Twitter links via Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com).
- Sixers owner Josh Harris has confirmed that Philadelphia is in "advanced discussions" to buy a D-League franchise, tweets Moore. A report back in November suggested that the 76ers may be targeting the suspended Utah Flash team.
- Ben Gordon can't see any reason to opt out of his contract for next season, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Considering his 2013/14 player option is worth $13.2MM, Gordon's stance is hardly a surprise.
- Another player who would like to return to the Bobcats for 2013/14 is Josh McRoberts. However, Bonnell tweets that McRoberts "made it clear" money will be the biggest factor for him in free agency.
- John Wall isn't planning on doing much recruiting this summer, telling J. Michael of CSNWashington.com that he's not going to "beg" free agents to sign with the Wizards (Twitter link).
- Al Harrington, who has two half-guaranteed years remaining on his contract, recognizes he probably doesn't have a future with the Magic, but isn't 100% sure, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
Southeast Rumors: Turkoglu, Hawks, Wizards
There's a race to the bottom in the Southeast Division tonight, with the Magic and the Bobcats vying for the greatest number of ping-pong balls in the draft lottery. The Hawks have playoff seeding at stake, but judging by their effort in a loss against the Raptors last night, they may not have any more motivation to win than Orlando and Charlotte do. While we wait to see how it all turns out, here's the latest from around the Southeast:
- Hedo Turkoglu wouldn't be surprised if the Magic waived him this summer to save 50% on his partially guaranteed $12MM contract for next season, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida. The 34-year-old wants to keep playing in the NBA, but he can't see himself in the league for longer than another three seasons.
- Multiple veteran unrestricted free agents tell Lang Greene of HoopsWorld they'd consider signing with the Hawks if the team reached out to them. GM Danny Ferry also shares a few thoughts with Greene as Atlanta eyes a summer of ample cap space.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post looks ahead to the offseason for the Wizards, who won't have much flexibility with $57MM already on the payroll, assuming Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza opt in to the final year of their contracts, as they're likely to do.
Odds & Ends: Budinger, McGrady, Hennigan
As Tuesday night winds down, here are some odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Chase Budinger, a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, would like to return to the Timberwolves next season but is only likely to do so if Rick Adelman is retained as the head coach, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Adelman pushed the Wolves to acquire Budinger, who he coached in Houston, in a draft-day trade with the Rockets last June. Budinger missed four months this season with a knee injury.
- After he signed Tracy McGrady, general manager R.C. Buford said that with the status of the Spurs roster right now, they "felt like [they] needed to look at some depth and experience," tweets Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter).
- The true winner of last summer's biggest blockbuster was Magic GM Rob Hennigan, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. Hennigan fleeced the Sixers and obtained three first-round draft picks and Arron Afflalo, says Bianchi, and most important, did not end up with Andrew Bynum.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer looks at the biggest issues facing the lowly Bobcats this summer, specifically pointing at the futures of head coach Mike Dunlap, restricted free-agent-to-be Gerald Henderson as well as the six other Bobcats who could become free agents.
Odds & Ends: T’Wolves, Temple, Magic, Mavs
Kevin Love seemed optimistic about being able to bounce back from a difficult season with the best offseason of his life, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. He also spoke about his desire for Rick Adelman to continue coaching the team, saying: "We need to have him back…I know his family comes first, but hopefully we can sit down and talk to him. This year has given us a lot of perspective, and hopefully he can see we have the making of a very good team here. We can make a push and have a special year next year…I think he’ll come back.”
You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- According to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press, Rick Adelman has deemed finding a quality shooting guard among the top of Minnesota's priorities this offseason.
- Garrett Temple hopes to have found a home with the Wizards, telling J. Michael of CSN Washington that he'd "love" to be back with them next year.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel thinks that the Magic should look to move Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and/or Glen Davis (at least one of them) in order to continue creating cap space for the future.
- Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops wonders if a 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki will have to endure another season like this one, especially if the Mavericks are unable to hit a home run in free agency for the second straight year after breaking up their championship roster.
- Though Mark Cuban isn't happy that Dallas is going to miss the postseason, he vouched for coach Rick Carlisle: "Rick’s a great coach…We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have, but we obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports).
- Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Manu Ginobili has been "progressing" in rehab according to coach Gregg Popovich, and that the Spurs veteran shooting guard could be cleared for full contact soon. On a more unfortunate note, Boris Diaw is expected to miss three-to-f0ur weeks (including the start of the playoffs) after the forward underwent a procedure to remove a synovial cyst that had been bothering his spine.
Bucks GM On Redick, Boylan, Sanders
This time last year, it seemed Bucks GM John Hammond's job was on the line as the team chased the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team fell short last year, but Hammond kept his job, and now the Bucks are in line for that eighth seed in the East. In the meantime, Hammond has been busy, having changed coaches, signed a three-year extension, and traded for J.J. Redick. There's plenty more work ahead, as the team's top three guards could all hit free agency this summer, and a decision on an extension for Larry Sanders looms. HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram caught up with Hammond, who reflected on some of what he's done.
On the Redick trade:
"We were hoping to make the playoffs. We thought adding a piece like J.J. Redick could help solidify that opportunity for us and he has. He’s been a great addition to our team. We’re also happy to have Gustavo (Ayon) and Ish Smith. It might be easy to forget about Gustavo and his abilities. We like him as a player, but it was a difficult trade to make to say the least. To move a piece like Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb; we like both those players, both good young players, but we felt at that time it was the right thing for our organization."
On Jim Boylan, who replaced Scott Skiles as head coach in January:
"Jim’s done a nice job with the team and I think we’re all seeing these situations that have occurred. It’s not a rarity in the NBA to have something like this happen. It’s not normalcy, but it’s not rarity by any stretch, so it happens. Most of the times when these sort of things happen, the situation goes south and goes south very quickly, but Jim has done a great job of working with our guys and communicating with our guys and motivating them to play hard. He deserves a lot of credit."
On the development of Sanders, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate:
"You draft Larry with the 15th pick and you’re hoping that when you used a first-round pick on a player that they turn out to be a location guy or better yet a starter, and Larry has turned out to be a significant piece of our team and a part of our team. Obviously, he’s one of the better shot blockers in the NBA. It’s been great for Larry, but he’s just taking advantage of the opportunity, and I think his game still has a chance to change and grow, and he’ll continue to develop as a player."
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Joseph, Harris, Jordan
After failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2000, the Mavericks will be opportunistic as they look to upgrade their roster this summer, Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, vowing that the team will be better next year.
"We maximized for the first generation of Dirk [Nowitzki]'s golden years to win a championship," Cuban said. "So we'll do our best for his second generation of golden years and then the next generation and the next generation until he runs out of golden years."
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Kris Joseph's 10-day contract with the Nets is set to expire tonight, but teammate Jerry Stackhouse tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he expects the club to retain Joseph. If Joseph re-signs with Brooklyn, it figures to be a rest-of-season contract, which would make him eligible for the postseason.
- Since being traded from the Bucks to the Magic, Tobias Harris has looked like a future star, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes. Kennedy spoke to the second-year forward, who is averaging 16.9 PPG and 8.8 RPG in 24 games with Orlando.
- Ian Thomsen of SI.com examines what the next step is for all 14 teams headed for this year's draft lottery.
- Following a D-League stint, former Knick Jerome Jordan is heading overseas to join Talk 'N Text in the Philippines, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Redick, Magic, Webster
The Southeast-leading Heat have clinched the NBA's best record of 2012/13, ensuring that they'll have homecourt advantage throughout the entire postseason. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the Bobcats' latest losing streak has once again put them in position to secure the best odds for the No. 1 pick this June. A game and a half behind the Magic, Charlotte would have to win at least two of its final four games in order to give up the top spot in the draft lottery, as our reverse standings show. Here's the rest of the latest out of the Southeast:
- Securing the league's best record has already guaranteed Miami a nice chunk of the NBA's $13MM playoff pool, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explains. Assuming the Heat advance to the Finals, as most of us expect them too, the team would earn more than $3MM that would likely be divided among players and other members of the organization.
- Former Magic guard J.J. Redick spoke to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel about returning to Orlando to play his former team last night. Redick also discussed his impending free agency, noting that while many factors will enter into his decision, salary will be a big one. "I think for any player sometimes, if the money is so different between offers, you go with the money," Redick said. "You secure you and your family's financial future. But there's other things, for sure."
- In examining a few optimal fits for this year's draft prospects, Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider link) suggests that Michigan's Trey Burke would do well with the Magic.
- According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, the Wizards may shut down Martell Webster (abdominal strain) for the rest of the regular season. With Webster facing unrestricted free agency, it's possible he has played his last game for the Wizards, but the team is reportedly very interested in bringing him back.
Eastern Links: Rose, Irving, Iverson
Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows…I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.”
Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month.
- During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it…I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life…If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
- Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward.
Central Rumors: Thibodeau, Jackson, Skiles, Scott
Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls agreed before the season to a four-year, $17.5MM extension, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported about six weeks ago that the coach had yet to sign the pact. The contract still remains unsigned, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though it's not uncommon for Thibodeau to hesitate on such matters, Wojnarowski points out. Wojnarowski's entire piece, in which he also notes NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson is looking for a front-office job with a team, is worth a read, and there are plenty of other stories out involving Central Division clubs, as we round up here:
- Thibodeau says it's a "non-issue" that he hasn't signed his contract, explaining that he just received the paperwork back from lawyers who were reviewing it, tweets Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Thibodeau added that as soon as he gets an opportunity to forward the signed contract to GM Gar Forman, he'll do so.
- Plenty of NBA GMs like Scott Skiles' no-nonsense approach, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders which NBA team the former Bucks coach will be piloting next year (Twitter link).
- The Cavs haven't given any indication Byron Scott is in trouble, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer, in response to readers questions, isn't certain he'll be back to coach the team next year.
Earlier updates:
- Chances are "beginning to look dicey" that Pistons coach Lawrence Frank will return next season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Owner Tom Gores will decide at the end of the season whether to bring back Frank for the third season on his deal. It's the final guaranteed year on Frank's contract, which includes an option for 2013/14, according to Ellis. I'd assume that's a team option, though Ellis doesn't specify.
- Tobias Harris is seeing significantly more playing time with the Magic than he did before the Bucks traded him at the deadline, and Beno Udrih, who accompanied him from Milwaukee to Orlando in the same deal, thinks their old team wasn't giving Harris the minutes he deserved. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details. "When I was in Milwaukee with him, I always knew he had the potential and talent to be a great player," Udrih said. "And in Milwaukee, I think they were just holding him back. They didn't give him a real chance to show what he can do. Here, he got a chance and he's definitely proving himself and taking advantage of the chance."
- HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham catches up with Malcolm Thomas, who speaks about the uncertainties of a 10-day contract. On Friday, Thomas signed his second 10-day deal with the Bulls.
Schmitz On Magic: Harrington, Dead Money, Noel
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel provides his latest update on all things Orlando Magic, addressing the Al Harrington situation, tallying all of the dead money on the Magic roster and questioning whether the Magic can risk gambling on Kentucky's Nerlens Noel.
- Harrington told Schmitz that while he refuses to let his knee injury end his NBA career, the 33-year-old veteran understands that his time in Orlando is likely over. Schmitz says the Magic will probably try to trade Harrington. If they can't, they will buy out the remaining two years on his deal, which is worth $14.7MM though Schmitz says it would cost Orlando about half of that since the deal is not fully guaranteed. Harrington added that he is "through playing with bad teams" and hopes that his 10-game stint on the court earlier this season was enough to draw interest from a contender next season.
- Schmitz says that the Magic currently have about $62MM committed to players who are currently not playing or are not on the roster. The team has two years and $43.1MM remaining on their deal with Gilbert Arenas and is still paying (or has paid) Hakim Warrick ($4MM), Quentin Richardson ($2.6MM), Christian Eyenga ($1.7MM) and Justin Harper ($762K), none of whom are on the roster. Hedo Turkoglu ($11.8MM), Arron Afflalo ($7.5MM), Harrington ($6.6MM) and Glen Davis ($6.4MM) are all injured or have been shut down.
- Schmitz opines that the lack of high-impact talent in June's draft makes Nerlens Noel a worthwhile gamble for the Magic. While Nikola Vucevic has emerged this year as an elite rebounder, the 7-footer is not really a shot blocker (only 1.0 blocks-per-game this year). Enter Noel, who would seem to fit nicely alongside Vucevic. The Magic probably won't be ready to compete for several years, so Schmitz says they could give the Kentucky shot blocker all the time he needs to recover.