Bucks, Suns Deep In Talks About Caron Butler
10:35pm: A source confirms the existence of the trade negotiations to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, saying that the deal is still in the works. The Suns are seeking only draft picks and short-term contracts, Stein adds (Twitter links).
9:45pm: The Bucks and Suns are in "serious" negotiations about a trade involving Caron Butler, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Woelfel tweeted earlier tonight that Milwaukee made a run at Butler before the Clippers traded him to the Suns last month in the same three-way deal in which the Bucks sent J.J. Redick to L.A. The Suns are barred from trading Butler until September 10th if they include another player in the deal, but they can swap him at any time if they send him out by himself. Woelfel says the deal could be consummated by today.
An injury to free agent acquisition Carlos Delfino is fueling Milwaukee's pursuit of an established small forward, Woelfel writes, adding that he's heard rumors that Delfino could miss part of the regular season after undergoing surgery for a fracture in his right foot. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are the only other small forwards on the roster.
Butler's $8MM expiring contract would put Milwaukee just above the salary cap, so they'll have to send salary out as part of the deal. The Bucks have eight different players capable of playing either power forward or center, so it figures that they'd try to include one of them in a trade. In any case, it's not likely to be a marquee name heading to Phoenix, according to Woelfel, as the Suns are prioritizing assets that can help them in the future over immediate returns. Draft compensation will probably be the jewel of the swap for Phoenix, though that's just my speculation.
Bucks GM John Hammond and new Suns GM Ryan McDonough have been among the most active executives on the trade market this summer. If they strike a deal involving Butler, it would be Milwaukee's fifth trade since the beginning of July, and Phoenix's third. And while few players would welcome a winter in Milwaukee instead of Phoenix, Butler is a native of nearby Racine, Wisconsin, so presumably he'd be on board.
Bucks Seeking SF, Made Run At Caron Butler
With this week's press conference to announce the Larry Sanders extension, it seemed like the Bucks, like most teams, were done with their significant offseason work. That may not be the case, as sources tell Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that they're seeking to add an established small forward (Twitter link). Milwaukee attempted to trade for Caron Butler last month, Woelfel adds, but the former All-Star wound up going to the Suns in the same three-way trade that saw the Bucks cut ties with J.J. Redick.
Milwaukee is one of only two teams with significant cap room, with about $7.5MM worth of space, so they may be exploring free agents in addition to trades. There aren't any players of Butler's caliber left on the market, but other veteran options like Mickael Pietrus, Josh Childress and Stephen Jackson are among the unsigned small forwards with extensive NBA experience. Childress has reportedly drawn interest from multiple clubs of late, so perhaps the Bucks are in on him as well. Jackson seems least likely, since it would be tough to envision a reunion after he feuded with former coach Scott Skiles and found himself on the outs with the Spurs this season just as the playoffs were about to start.
Hedo Turkoglu could be another possibility, as he's acknowledged that it's unlikely he'll remain with the Magic for much longer. He's in talks with Orlando about a buyout of his expiring contract, which is worth $12MM but only 50% guaranteed. At least one team from overseas is already poised to make an offer if he becomes a free agent, but it looks like the Magic may try to see what they can get in a trade. The Bucks would have to send some salary out to make such a deal work, but with their glut of big men, they may be willing to make a deal, though that's just my speculation.
With dwindling free agent options and a quiet trade market, the Bucks may extend their search for a small forward into the season, or at least training camp, when other teams are more open to trades and some veterans — as Quentin Richardson was last year — might be cut loose.
Western Notes: Wright, Goodwin, Jensen
Let's round up a few links from around the Western Conference on Tuesday night:
- Despite already inking a two-year year deal with the Mavericks last month, Brandan Wright has vowed to return to the court in the upcoming season as a drastically improved player, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Wright averaged career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes last season and shot nearly 60 percent from the field. At only 25, the Mavs are hoping he has finally tapped into the potential that made him a top-10 selection in 2007.
- It's been two months since he was selected with the 29th pick in the draft, but Suns rookie Archie Goodwin says his existence as a player in the NBA has yet to sink in, writes Matt Petersen of Suns.com. Goodwin, 19, was the youngest American player to declare for the draft and second youngest overall behind Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was drafted by Oklahoma City and then traded twice before ending up in Phoenix, where he signed on in July.
- Despite his long list of Utah ties, Alex Jensen was added to the Jazz coaching staff on merit alone according to general manager Dennis Lindsey, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. Jensen, the reigning D-League Coach of the Year, was hired last month by Utah as a player development assistant. Before coaching in the D-League, Jensen spent four years on Rick Majerus' staff at Saint Louis University. He played for Majerus at Utah and grew up in the beehive state.
Odds & Ends: Turkoglu, Plumlee, Heat, Mavs
For now, Hedo Turkoglu remains under contract with the Magic, with the team currently on the hook for $6MM of his $12MM salary. Turkoglu's full salary will become guaranteed if he's still on the roster beyond January 7th, but there's virtually no chance that happens, and it appears the veteran forward may not even be in the NBA by that point. According to reports out of Turkey, confirmed by Can Pelister of TrendBasket.net (via Twitter), Turkish team Fenerbahce Ulker is pursuing Turkolgu, and is prepared to make him a substantial offer (hat tip to Sportando).
The Magic would need to grant Turkoglu his release before he could finalize a deal overseas, but it may just be a matter of time until that happens. Here's more from around the NBA:
- 2012 first-round pick Miles Plumlee may end up being the Suns' "understated prize" of the trade that sent Luis Scola to the Pacers, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel breaks down the Heat's salary details for 2013/14, player by player.
- While the Mavericks likely outbid the market for Jose Calderon, the team's need for a pure point guard still makes it a solid signing, opines Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com, who gives the Mavs a B+ for the move.
- In today's NBA AM piece, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines potential trade options for the Mavericks, Nuggets, and Pistons.
Pacific Rumors: Dragic, Suns, Warriors, D’Antoni
The Clippers have figured prominently in NBA headlines today, as they've reached a deal with Antawn Jamison amid troubling news about Lamar Odom, the other free agent power forward they've been targeting. Still, they're not the only Pacific Division team making waves, as we detail:
- The addition of Eric Bledsoe has led to speculation that Goran Dragic could become a trade candidate, but coach Jeff Hornacek and GM Ryan McDonough are optimstic that Dragic can start alongside Bledsoe in the backcourt, notes Matt Petersen of Suns.com. Dragic is on board with the changes in Phoenix this summer, calling Bledsoe "a mini-LeBron James."
- San Francisco city documents show that the Warriors' plan to build a new arena there is months behind schedule, with related costs that have jumped by $50MM, John Coté of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The team disputes the financial estimates and sees the delays as routine, Coté adds. Coincidentally, the Warriors announced today that they've made a few improvements to Oracle Arena, a building they hope to leave for their new home in 2017.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com weighs which NBA head coaching job will be the most challenging in 2013/14, ultimately giving the nod to Mike D'Antoni with the Lakers.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Kyler On Asik, Rockets, Suns, Gortat, Adelman
Continuing a series that got underway last week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines a few more teams that could explore trade options either before or during the 2013/14 season. Let's dive in and check out what Kyler has to say about the Rockets, Suns, and Timberwolves….
- The Rockets listened to offers on Omer Asik earlier in the offseason, and there were teams with interest, but given the health questions still surrounding Dwight Howard, Houston was reluctant to part with Asik and put everything on D12.
- Jeremy Lin's future in Houston also isn't entirely set in stone, but the Rockets figure to give Lin and Asik a chance to establish roles with the club early on, says Kyler. If Lin, Asik, or anyone else isn't fitting into the team's system, trades could be explored.
- While the Suns have been adamant that Marcin Gortat is a core piece for this season, Kyler thinks it's inevitable that the veteran big man is shopped and/or moved by the trade deadline, considering he's in a contract year.
- Eric Bledsoe is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but the Suns may want to see how he adjusts to a bigger role before making a long-term commitment, says Kyler. If Bledsoe emerges as the long-term answer at point guard, it could make Goran Dragic a trade candidate down the road.
- The T-Wolves' roster looks solid entering the 2013/14 season, but there's some uncertainty surrounding head coach Rick Adelman. Sources tell Kyler that Adelman isn't retiring, but his wife's health problems mean that the coach's future in Minnesota remains up in the air. It's not clear what will happen if Adelman has to miss a significant chunk of time again, Kyler notes.
Odds & Ends: Paul, NBPA, Butler
In discussing Chris Paul's election as the new NBPA president, ESPN's Brian Windhorst writes that neither Paul nor former union vice president Jerry Stackhouse would commit to a timetable nor discuss whether a search firm was in place to find a replacement for ex-NBPA executive director Billy Hunter. Stackhouse, who will remain active with the union in an advisory role, said they aren't in a rush but have already identified a number of candidates. Windhorst also says the union would ideally want a new executive director in place by February 1st, when Adam Silver is set to begin his job as the new commissioner. Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes, along with more from the above piece:
- Some comments from Paul: "I've been thinking about (running) for a while on and off…I've had a lot of dialogue about it with committee members. I wouldn't have taken on the role if I was going to do it alone."
- There are a few specific issues that were tabled during the 2011 CBA which still need to be resolved, especially blood testing for performance enhancing drugs (including human growth hormone) and the current age limit to declare for the NBA draft.
- Lakers guard Steve Blake and Bobcats forward Anthony Tolliver were added as new members to the executive committee, joining Paul, Roger Mason Jr., Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, James Jones, Matt Bonner, and Willie Green.
- The union has turned to Deloitte Financial Advisory Services to examine its structure and will make necessary changes, such as adding a human resources and information technology department (J.A. Adande of ESPN.com).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes that the NBPA has hired Reilly Partners to help with restructuring and forming a job description for the executive director position, and that two names have surfaced as potential candidates for the opening: former NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and former NBA and Madison Square Garden executive Steven Mills.
- Suns forward Caron Butler says he's looking forward to being a mentor to teammate Michael Beasley, gives his thoughts on the Clippers, and talks about how he's approaching the upcoming season in Phoenix. Butler adds that no one from the Clippers front office has spoken to him since he was notified by his agent about being traded, but insists there's no ill will: “I don’t leave with bitterness or anything, but a phone call would have helped the situation…But it’s cool, it’s no hard feelings because that’s the nature of the business" (NBA.com's Jeff Caplan).
- Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy looks at a list of 11 of the top 13 players drafted this past June and discusses their chances at winning Rookie of the Year.
- In the same piece, Kennedy relays a clip from Gary Payton's interview on FOX Sports, in which the Hall of Fame point guard reveals that he may have had something to do with Allen Iverson's "practice" rant on the 76ers several years ago: "(Iverson) asked me…'How do you keep your body is so good of a shape, and don’t get hurt, and stay always on the court?’ And I just told him for real, my coach George Karl didn’t let me practice. So that was it. I said, ‘You have to stop practicing." While watching the actual rant, Payton recalled thinking: ‘Don’t say it like this! Don’t do it like that, Allen…When he said it, I said, ‘No, that was not our conversation.’”
Western Notes: Ginobili, Beasley, Hansen, Blair
Let's check out a few Wednesday items from around the Western Conference….
- J. Gomez of SBNation's Pounding the Rock passes along and translates an interview Argentinian newspaper La Nación conducted with Manu Ginobili, which includes plenty of questions about retirement. According to Ginobili, frustration with health issues had him considering retirement this year, but once he improved physically, he realized he wanted to keep playing. The 36-year-old signed a new two-year deal with the Spurs last month.
- The Suns have yet to publicly reveal their plans for Michael Beasley after the troubled forward's recent arrest, as Bob Young of the Arizona Republic writes. Young rightly points out that if the Suns plan to release Beasley, they have until September 1st to take advantage of the stretch provision, which would allow the team to stretch the cap hit over several seasons.
- Chris Hansen's $100K donation to an anti-Kings-arena effort derails his credibility, but doesn't necessarily ruin Seattle's chances of receiving an expansion team in the next few years, says Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- Wilson Chandler is looking forward to reuniting with former Knicks teammate Nate Robinson in Denver, as Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com details.
- DeJuan Blair is motivated and expects to make a difference in his first year with the Mavericks, according to Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com.
Western Notes: Mavs, Fredette, Childress, Meeks
The Mavericks had to go to Plan B this season after missing out on Dwight Howard and Chris Paul in free agency, but coach Rick Carlisle is no stranger to adapting to his roster, notes NBA.com's Jeff Caplan. Carlisle will be at the helm of a Dallas team that looks quite different than last year's incarnation, but he says he's comfortable with that.
"I just made a conscious decision that I’m not going to be a coach that’s limited to a certain system," Carlisle said. "I’m hanging my hat on my ability to adapt each year to potentially a roster that’s quite different, and with the new CBA we’re going to have more of that in this league. I’ve done a lot of it in my career leading up to now anyway, so it’s always challenging in those situations, but it’s also exciting."
Here's more from around the Western Conference:
- Appearing on KSL's SportsBeat Sunday, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee said the Kings aren't actively shopping Jimmer Fredette, but have fielded calls and will move him in the right deal (link via KSL.com). There have been some conflicting reports this offseason about Sacramento's willingness to move Fredette, but Jones' explanation of the team's stance makes sense to me.
- Josh Childress will work out in New Orleans for the Pelicans this week, agent Chris Emens tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- Jodie Meeks left the 76ers last summer in free agency for a chance at a ring with the Lakers, but he has yet to take on a significant role with the club. After battling injury in 2012/13, the 26-year-old guard is ready to make his mark in L.A., writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- After being included in two draft-night deals as a salary throw-in, Malcolm Lee has been working hard to prove he deserves a spot on the Suns' roster, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Kobe, Young, Mavericks
Sitting outside of Staples Center tonight with late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant says that he'll never accept being called the greatest Laker ever from Magic Johnson considering that he learned so much from him. As for his injury timetable, he's not sure if he'll be back by opening night at this point but is trying his best to get ready (ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi via Twitter). Here are the rest of tonight's miscellaneous tidbits from the Western Conference:
- Markazi and ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne relay that Kobe would have picked North Carolina instead of Duke had he not decided to make the jump to the NBA out of high school, and shared that the Clippers feared they wouldn't be taken seriously if they drafted a 17-year-old despite telling him that he'd given them the best workout they've ever had (All Twitter links).
- Flabbergasted that his team was projected to finish 12th in the West this year, Nick Young is "upset and ready for the season," writes Markazi: "How are you going to be ranked that low with Kobe and Pau and Nash? There’s always going to be haters and we just have to keep proving them wrong."
- Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW thinks that the seventh or eighth-seed will be the best-case scenario for the Mavericks if all goes well this year. Jarret Johnson of the Star-Telegram looks at why there's optimism surrounding the team heading into the season.
- Noting that six general managers around the league have previous ties with the Spurs along with four former coaching assistants now leading teams of their own, Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation describes why San Antonio's structure is a model that many teams want to follow but will find hard to duplicate.
- Timberwolves' president Flip Saunders says that Kevin Love is now 242 lbs after playing last season at 250 (Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press via Twitter).
- Paul Coro of AZ Central tweets a picture of the Suns' new uniforms, which were debuted tonight.