Pacific Notes: Wesley Johnson, Suns, Kings
The Lakers didn't land their top free agent target this July, but the team made a handful of smaller, under-the-radar signings to bring in talent and bolster a bench that was thin in 2012/13. Among those incoming free agents is Wesley Johnson, and the new Laker spoke extensively to Laker Nation about the upcoming season, playing with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, and how excited he is to play in L.A.
"It's really a dream come true for me," Johnson said, according to Alex Lambeth and Jory Dreher. "I've wanted to play here since I was younger. My family really respects the Lakers for all they stand for…. My mom loved Magic [Johnson]. Being able to play for the Lakers and with my mom being able to see me play for them, it's going to be fun."
Here's more from around the Pacific Division:
- Goran Dragic spoke to Mark Woods of ESPN.com about the Suns' offseason and the direction of the team, praising the trade for Eric Bledsoe and the drafting of Alex Len. "Of course, we still have a lot of salary cap," Dragic said. "Probably next year, we'll go for big names, one of the superstars."
- Shaquille O'Neal's involvement in Kings ownership could have an effect on a new Sacramento arena, according to Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. As the Bee report suggests, Shaq's presence may help sell Sacramentans on the proposed $258MM public subsidy for the arena.
- Earlier today, we heard that DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings are moving toward a contract extension.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Young, D’Antoni, Suns
Jeanie Buss updated her memoirs and over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times published an excerpt from the newest edition of "Laker Girl." In the book, Buss says that she was devastated when Mike D'Antoni was hired over beau Phil Jackson. Here's more on the Lakers and other news from the Pacific Division..
- With Kobe Bryant sidelined, the Lakers have the opportunity to unleash the ultimate gunner in Nick Young, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. Gunners like Young can fill up a stat sheet with points but they don't do it in the most efficient fashion or get others involved in the offense. Even though Young isn't exactly Pistol Pete Maravich when it comes to dishing the ball, he doesn't turn the ball over often, which bodes well for the offseason addition.
- In an interview with Jamie Maggio of Time Warner Cable Sportsnet, D'Antoni said that he's looking forward to a "normal" season on the bench with the Lakers after the difficulties of last year. The coach also touched on offseason additions Chris Kaman, Wesley Johnson, and Shawne Williams.
- Matt Petersen of Suns.com profiled Suns offseason acquisition Viacheslav Kravtsov.
Western Notes: Rautins, KJ, Lin, Suns
The three teams doling out the greatest number of $10MM+ salaries this year are all from the Eastern Conference, as I examined this evening, but of the leaguewide total of 60 salaries of $10MM or more this season, Western Conference teams are set to pay 29 of them. That's a remarkably even split considering nearly a quarter of those salaries are concentrated with just the Nets, Knicks and Bulls. It demonstrates a depth of highly compensated talent in the West, which has been widely perceived as the NBA's power conference for years. Here's the latest news from the Western Conference:
- Author R.E. Graswich contends in his book that Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson played a secondary role to David Stern in the fight to keep the Kings from moving, as Graswich explains to Cambi Brown of CBS13 in Sacramento. Graswich also claims that Johnson harbors a grudge against the Kings, who drafted Kenny Smith one spot before Johnson went off the board in 1987.
- Andy Rautins spent last October with the Thunder, but it doesn't look like he'll be in an NBA camp this time around. The Fraport Skyliners of Germany have announced on their website that they've signed the former second-round pick (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
- Jeremy Lin tells ESPN.com that he believes Dwight Howard's arrival in Houston will alleviate some of the pressure the Harvard grad felt to perform for the Rockets last season, when he was down on himself for not duplicating "Linsanity."
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic profiles new Suns coach Jeff Hornacek's assistants, two of whom were Suns teammates of Hornacek in their playing days.
Teams With 15 Or More Guaranteed Contracts
With most of the offseason's heavy lifting behind them, NBA teams are focusing on finalizing their camp rosters, adding players on non-guaranteed contracts to compete for the last spot or two on their benches. While clubs can carry up to 20 players during the preseason, that number must be reduced to between 13 and 15 by opening night.
For a team like the Hawks, October should be interesting, since the team currently only has 12 players whose salaries are fully guaranteed, with seven more players on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Assuming Atlanta plans to carry 14 or 15 players, a player's performance in camp could be the difference between whether he's playing in the NBA and playing in Europe this season.
However, for several other teams, there will be little October drama, since some clubs will head into camp already carrying 15 or more players on guaranteed contracts. In those instances, a non-guaranteed camp invitee could play well enough to stick around for the regular season, but his team would have to trade or release a guaranteed contract to clear room. Waiving a player on a guaranteed deal would mean eating his salary and cap hit for at least the 2013/14 season.
Using our lists of roster counts and non-guaranteed deals for this season, let's take a look at the six teams already carrying at least 15 guaranteed contracts, along with what we can expect from them in the next few weeks:
Brooklyn Nets
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 0
There's not a whole to watch here. The Nets will probably bring in two or three camp invitees in the hopes of sending them to the D-League's Springfield Armor, but the 15-man roster looks pretty set heading into the season.
Dallas Mavericks
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 4 (Devin Ebanks, D.J. Kennedy, Mickey McConnell, Fab Melo)
The Mavericks' roster is fascinating at the moment, since three of their four camp invitees have previous NBA experience, and Ebanks and Melo seem like they should be on a roster this season. Nearly two-thirds of the team's 15 guaranteed players signed free agent contracts this summer, and can't be traded until at least December, and that doesn't include Dirk Nowitzki, who isn't going anywhere.
I doubt Dallas will trade Shawn Marion or Vince Carter, and waiving Jae Crowder seems unlikely. In other words, there's no obvious way to clear a roster spot for Ebanks, Melo, or any other camp invitees, so it will be interesting to see what happens if one of them blows the Mavs away in the preseason.
Milwaukee Bucks
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 3 (Junior Cadougan, Olek Czyz, Trey McKinney Jones)
When they sent Brandon Jennings to the Pistons in exchange for three players, the Bucks looked like they'd be carrying one too many guaranteed deals into camp, but the team managed to make a two-for-one trade for Caron Butler, reducing the roster count to 15. Many of Milwaukee's players recently signed, and therefore can't be traded and won't be cut anytime soon, so the club is virtually certain to roll with its current 15. That means the camp invitees will likely just be extra bodies, particularly since the Bucks don't run their own D-League affiliate.
Phoenix Suns
Guaranteed contracts: 16
Camp invitees: 1 (Dionte Christmas)
The Suns are the only team on this list carrying more than 15 guaranteed deals, in part because of the aforementioned two-for-one trade with the Bucks. They'll have to trade or cut a player before the regular season, and I'd guess it will be either Ishmael Smith or Malcolm Lee, who were both included in offseason trades for salary purposes.
Given the team's depth at point guard, Phoenix may prefer to hang on to Lee, who is more of a two, rather than Smith, who would be playing behind Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, and Kendall Marshall at the point. A Marshall trade is another possibility, albeit a less likely one.
Portland Trail Blazers
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 4 (Dee Bost, Terrel Harris, Richard Howell, E.J. Singler)
Harris doesn't technically qualify as a camp invitee, but he's on a non-guaranteed deal, which Portland will likely drop soon. Bost, Howell, and Singler figure to be cut eventually as well, but it's interesting that the Blazers would give small guarantees to Bost and Howell. Perhaps those guarantees will act as incentives for those players to join the Idaho Stampede, the Blazers' D-League affiliate.
Of the Blazers' guaranteed players, Will Barton has the least money owed to him, and doesn't figure to play a huge role for this year's team, so he's probably the most likely candidate to be cut, if Portland wants to add someone else.
Washington Wizards
Guaranteed contracts: 15
Camp invitees: 0
Like the Nets, the Wizards looked to have a fairly straightforward roster situation until this week, when the team announced that Chris Singleton and Emeka Okafor were both expected to miss the preseason with injuries. That still leaves the team with plenty of healthy bodies for now, so I don't imagine any major roster shakeups are on the way. But if another frontcourt player or two goes down, a move may become necessary.
Odds & Ends: Fratello, Draft, Wright
Mike Fratello, who is in charge of Ukraine's national team at EuroBasket, believes that now is the time for a European head coach to break the barrier and take the reins of an NBA team, writes Mark Woods for ESPN.com. "It will take a GM from somewhere who has a very understanding owner, a GM believing and trusting in the person that he's going to select and convincing his owner to trust that this guy can coach," the veteran coach said. Italian coach Ettore Messina has been linked to several jobs in recent years – including the Nets and Hawks – but he remains overseas. Here's more from around the Association..
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld runs down the picks that have changed hands in the 2014 Draft. The Jazz, Magic, and Celtics are all guaranteed multiple first-round picks, meaning that they're not dependent on anyone else's performance in 2013/14. Meanwhile, the Suns have their fingers crossed that they'll wind up with three first round picks in the talent rich draft.
- Tommy Dee of Ridiculous Upside explains why Chris Wright is ready to stick with the Raptors. The athletic tweener showed that he has talent in his time in the D-League, but he'll be going against guards Julyan Stone and Carlos Morais for the 15th and final spot. Of course, the Raptors could also roll with 14 players to start the season.
- Last week, Hoops Rumors debuted the brand new International Player Movement Tracker with the help of Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival. Be sure to check it out today.
Older NBA Rookies: Datome & Christmas
The Suns signed Dionte Christmas this year after former Celtics assistant general manager Ryan McDonough became the Suns GM earlier this summer. Christmas has been playing professionally overseas for a number of years after going undrafted out of Temple in 2009.
The 26-year-old was one of the last cuts during the Celtics' training camp last fall, and Jessica Camerato spoke with him for CSNNE.com about how his connection with McDonough helped him choose Phoenix after he'd received numerous NBA camp offers and overseas deals.
"I think (my relationship with McDonough) played a big role because he knows what type of guy I am," Christmas told her by phone on Friday. "He knows that I work hard. I come in every day, I'm going to give it 110 percent."
Another rookie who has been playing professionally for a number of years before moving to the NBA this summer is Italian import Luigi "Gigi" Datome who signed a two-year, $3.5MM deal with the Pistons in June.
Datome spoke with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype about what he's expecting during his first season outside Italy. When asked which current player he would compare himself too, Datome mentioned the Heat's Shane Battier in terms of his shooting and all-around contributions to make the team better.
With the Pistons signing unrestricted free agent Josh Smith this summer to team with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe in their front court, a shooter like Datome will be valuable. Gigi shot 51.5 percent from the floor with Virtus Roma last year and nearly 40 percent from three-point territory when he was named Italian League MVP.
Gigi's marksmanship will help space the floor when the 6'8" shooter replaces Monroe or Smith at either forward spot. Smith, Drummond and Monroe will be drawing the majority of their opponents' attention toward a crowded paint, and none of the three possess much accuracy outside of ten feet, so Datome's accuracy behind the arc should open up driving lanes for another new Pistons acquisition this summer, Brandon Jennings.
Suns Sign Dionte Christmas
The Suns have signed Dionte Christmas, the team has announced on its website. The 6'5" guard averaged double figures in points for Phoenix's summer league team this year, and a report shortly thereafter indicated the Suns had interest in bringing the former Temple Owl aboard. It's a multi-year deal with a "small" guarantee for this season, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Christmas has yet to play in a regular season NBA game after going to camp with the Sixers in 2009 and the Celtics last year. He had a two-year contract that was 50% guaranteed for the first season with the C's, and with former Boston executive Ryan McDonough on board as the new Phoenix GM, Christmas is again getting more than the standard non-guaranteed training camp deal.
The move furthers a roster logjam for the Suns, who already had 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts. Still, it's the first free agent deal of the offseason for McDonough and company, who've instead concentrated on swinging three trades since July 1st.
Christmas notched 10.1 points in 20.8 minutes per game for the summer league Suns after splitting the 2012/13 regular season between Montepaschi Siena of Italy and CSKA Moscow in Russia. He put up just 5.5 PPG for his overseas teams last year after he was his league's leading scorer for Rethymno of Greece in 2011/12.
Pacific Links: Len, Lakers, Kings
Here are some links to pass along out of the Pacific Division tonight:
- Royce Young of CBS Sports relayed a tweet from Suns rookie Alex Len, who revealed that he's been cleared to start practicing and should therefore be ready for the start of training camp.
- Adi Joseph and Sean Highkin of USA Today have been ranking NBA teams according to their "watchability" next season and continue their list with the Lakers, who come in at number 24. With the departure of Dwight Howard leaving the roster thinner and the possibility that the team continues to struggle with injuries, Joseph expects the purple and gold to only win 33 games and ultimately miss the playoffs.
- Next on the list are the Kings at 23, whom Joseph projects to finish 25-57 and fall short of a playoff berth. Although Greivis Vasquez' unselfish play should benefit DeMarcus Cousins and the team could be very entertaining, Joseph points out that the overall roster remains in flux and will continue to struggle heavily on defense.
- Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) notes that the Lakers training camp will open on September 29 after the team pushed their media day back to the 28th.
Pacific Notes: Buss, Lakers, Nunnally, Kings
Many Lakers fans have been skeptical about executive vice president Jim Buss assuming a decision-making role in the organization previously held by his late father, Jerry Buss. But Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Jim had gained the trust of his father, and that the two men worked together in making decisions like the hiring of Mike D'Antoni, who they felt was a better fit than Phil Jackson. Shelburne's piece includes plenty of interesting tidbits and quotes from Buss, who adds that he'd be "all for it" if Jackson wanted to work with the Lakers on a consultant basis.
Here's more from around the Pacific Division:
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bradford Doolittle proposes a few steps for rebuilding the Lakers, including re-signing Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol next summer, trading Steve Nash, and keeping their 2014 first-round pick.
- Sources indicate to Henry Abbott of ESPN.com that the Lakers could have trouble attracting impact free agents next summer, in part because it's not clear how much cap space the team will have, and in part because of Kobe's reputation as a difficult teammate.
- Yesterday, we heard that free agent swingman James Nunnally would work out for the Spurs and Jazz. Today, Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside adds a couple more teams to the mix, writing that Nunnally will also audition for the Suns, as well as the Pelicans, in the hopes of earning a camp invite.
- Without the petition signatures that Chris Hansen's money was able to buy, there's not much momentum left for the anti-arena effort in Sacramento, according to Marcos Breton of the Sacramento Bee.
Suns, Bucks Expressed Interest In Royal Ivey
The two teams who worked together to complete the most recent trade of the 2013 offseason currently have their eye on the same free agent, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Kennedy reports that the Suns and Bucks have expresseed interest in Royal Ivey, with Ivey expected to work out for Phoenix in the near future.
Ivey, 31, was reportedly set to work out for the Hawks and Spurs near the end of August, and was mentioned as a potential Sixers target earlier in the offseason. Based on the reported interest, it seems as if the veteran guard should have no trouble securing a camp invite, but it's not clear if he'll be able to land more than a non-guaranteed contract.
Neither the Bucks nor the Suns seem to be in good position to offer Ivey any sort of guarantee, since both teams already have at least 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and aren't likely to have open roster spots this fall.
In 2012/13, Ivey appeared in 53 games for the Sixers, the most he's played in the NBA since the 2008/09 season. Averaging 13.2 minutes per contest, the former second-round pick recorded 3.2 PPG, with most of his points coming from long-range — he shot 42.0% on three-pointers, scoring about 65% of his points from downtown.