Solomon Jones To Sign With Suns
The Suns will add Solomon Jones to their training camp roster on a non-guaranteed deal, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The 6'10" Jones spent time with the Clippers and Hornets last season. He will likely receive the minimum salary if he makes the regular season roster.
New Orleans had Jones on a pair of 10-day contracts last season after the Clippers waived him in February, but the Hornets opted against signing him for the rest of 2011-12 and went with Jeff Foote on a 10-day contract instead. He saw 17.8 minutes per game in New Orleans, more than he got at any other stop, and averaged 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, both of which would have been career highs for a season. His time in L.A. was less fruitful, as he put up just 0.6 PPG and 1.7 RPG in 9.6 MPG.
The Suns have 13 players on 13 fully guaranteed contracts, so Jones is the first make-good deal for the team this year, as Coro points out. NBA teams can have 15 players in the regular season, but they don't have to carry more than 13, so Jones isn't a lock to stick with the Suns beyond camp, even though it appears he stands a decent chance.
Wizards Re-Sign Brian Cook
Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that client Brian Cook has signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Wizards. The big man was rumored to be close to a deal with the team on Friday, though the Suns were also reportedly in the mix. It will likely be for the minimum salary, which he earned last year while splitting the season between the Wizards and the Clippers.
Cook has averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game three of the last four seasons, including last year, when he saw 8.6 MPG. That includes the 9.7 MPG he got in the second half of the season with the Wizards after coming over in same deal that brought Nene to Washington. The 6'9", 31-year-old Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds with a 10.4 in his time with the Wizards. Cook's rate of 9.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over his 16 games with the team was higher than in any of his nine NBA seasons.
He represents the 18th player on the team's preseason roster, which includes at least 14 with a partial guarantee. It appears as though Cook will compete with Earl Barron, Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray for the last regular season roster spot, though another position could open if the team decides to waive point guard Shelvin Mack and absorb his partial guarantee of $300K.
Pacific Notes: Barbosa, Hill, Warriors, Suns
We heard earlier this week that former Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, who finished last season in Indiana, had spoken with the Suns, the Nets and the Lakers about his destination this year. The Nets roster looks set at guard, and yesterday it looked like the Suns weren't interested either. We will keep an eye on the Lakers' interest in Barbosa, but in the meantime let's round up all things Pacific Division:
- We learned yesterday that Dwight Howard will not be ready for the Lakers first preseason game in early October. According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will likely shift Pau Gasol to center and insert Jordan Hill into the starting power forward spot in Howard's absence. The uncertainty that the Lakers face with Howard's back problems makes their ability to keep Gasol in the deal look even better, if that is possible.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area hosted a Warriors chat today. Among the topics covered are the expectations for Andrew Bogut in his first year in Oakland, Stephen Curry's future with the Warriors as well as newcomer Harrison Barnes' rookie role.
- Paul Coro from the Arizona Republic checks up on the Suns as we get closer to the starting of training camp. He says the only three players who haven't shown their face in Phoenix of late are Jermaine O'Neal, Marcin Gortat and Michael Beasley. In addition to a Beasley update, Coro says their is word that Goran Dragic, Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall look good. He also reiterates what we heard yesterday, that Leandro Barbosa's interest in coming back to Phoenix is one-sided.
Wizards Close To Deal With Brian Cook
The Wizards have offered Brian Cook an invitation to training camp, and the 31-year-old big man could sign a non-guaranteed deal by sometime this afternoon, Michael Lee of the Washington Post hears. Cook has also been in contact with the Suns, Lee also reports.
Washington acquired Cook last year in the same deadline deal that brought in Nene. The nine-year veteran, who would make $1.229MM on a minimum-salary deal, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 8.6 minutes a game for the entire season, though his numbers went up to 3.1 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 9.7 MPG after he went to the Wizards. He became an unrestricted free agent after a two-year, minimum salary deal he signed in 2010 expired this summer.
Lee also confirms a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today that we passed along last night saying that the Wizards had interest in Maurice Evans for their front office, though Evans, the vice president of the players union, wants to continue playing.
The Suns, who have more than $8MM in cap room, could go over the minimum to sign Cook, as could the Wizards, who have $3.25MM of their midlevel exception available after signing Martell Webster, though it seems unlikely either team would do so. Lee says the Wizards, who have 14 players with at least a partially guaranteed deal, would probably go with someone who can play up front for their final roster spot, which signals their interest in Cook.
Suns Not Pursuing Barbosa
Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweets that although Leandro Barbosa says he has talked to the Suns, the team is not currently pursuing him. The Brazilian guard has also been recently linked to the Lakers and Nets, and whereas Steve Nash has apparently been working to recruit his old Phoenix running mate to Los Angeles, Howard Beck of the New York Times reported on Tuesday that the possibility of Brooklyn had become unlikely.
Barbosa was a member of the Suns from 2003-04 through the middle of the 2009-10 season, winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007. Last year, he averaged 11.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG between the Raptors and Pacers.
Leandro Barbosa Talking To Suns, Nets, Lakers
8:17pm: Howard Beck of the New York Times hears that the Nets are unlikely to sign Barbosa, given their depth at both guard spots (Twitter links).
6:19pm: Leandro Barbosa is one of the most prominent free agents still on the market, and the Brazilian guard recently told Fábio Balassiano of UOL Esporte that he's in talks with the Suns, Nets and Lakers (Portuguese link; translation via HoopsHype). Barbosa added that former Suns teammate Steve Nash has been sending text messages his way to try to recruit him to L.A.
The Lakers were close to signing him during the Olympics, but the team's deal with Jodie Meeks caused them to back off, Barbosa said. It's hard to put too much weight on comments he made in another language, but Barbosa appeared to indicate he's willing to take the minimum salary from the Lakers or another contending club. The Lakers still have $1.59MM of their taxpayer's mid-level exception remaining after using $1.5MM of it on Meeks, which is a little more than the $1.229MM that Barbosa, as a nine-year veteran, would receive at the minimum-salary level.
The Nets probably fit the profile of a contending club as well. They could offer the biannual exception of $1.957MM, but that would cause them to be hard-capped this season, something they've sought to avoid. The Suns still have more than $8MM in cap space, so they could simply overwhelm the other clubs with the amount of money in their offer if they chose to do so.
Barbosa said in the report that he would go back to Brazil if he can't find a deal in the NBA, but that seems unlikely. Hoops Rumors readers tabbed Barbosa as the best remaining free agent by a wide margin a few days ago.
Odds & Ends: Harris, Aguilar, 2014 Draft, Bynum
Let's round up a few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….
- Before he re-signed with the Heat, Terrel Harris turned down contract offers from the Cavaliers and teams in Spain and Russia, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Former Philippine Basketball Association first overall pick Japeth Aguilar is trying to earn an invite to an NBA training camp, writes Joseph Pimentel of ABS-CBN News. According to his agent, Aguilar has a workout scheduled with the Spurs and is trying to line one up with the Magic as well.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists his choices for the top ten most toxic contracts in the NBA.
- For the draft buffs who are already looking ahead to 2013 and beyond, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his mock draft for 2014.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic wonders if any of the Suns' new acquisitions will fill the leadership void left by Steve Nash's and Grant Hill's departures.
- Will Bynum should have a clearer path to playing time this season with Ben Gordon out of the picture for the Pistons, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside makes the case for why Marvin Phillips deserves an opportunity to earn an NBA roster spot.
Suns Notes: Rebuild, Training Camp
The Phoenix Suns spent this summer as one of the most active teams in free agency, signing several big names to big money deals that some might believe to be higher than their market value. AZCentral.com's Paul Coro highlights all the moves this team made, and in a detailed discussion with general manager Lon Babby, visits the past to see where Phoenix's mindset currently rests.
Here are a few more pieces about the Suns from across the internet today.
- Hoopshype.com dives into the Suns in their season preview series.
- The Suns will begin voluntary workouts this week, writes AZCentral.com's Paul Coro.
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.
Teams Using Cap Space In 2012/13
For NBA franchises, the idea of having cap space is often more conceptual than it is literal. For instance, the Boston Celtics headed into the 2012 offseason with only a handful of contracts on their books and the opportunity to clear $20-25MM in cap room. However, the team never actually used any cap space during the summer, instead opting to re-sign its own players, use cap exceptions, and complete sign-and-trade deals to fill out its roster.
Not every team used the same approach as Boston this summer though — plenty of clubs dipped below the cap, and took advantage by offering players contracts that they would have been unable to offer using cap exceptions. Listed below are the teams that have used cap space at some point during the 2012/2013 season. These squads are no longer eligible to use the $5MM mid-level exception or the $1.957MM bi-annual exception, and may have renounced traded player exceptions in order to claim cap room. They could still have cap space or the $2.575MM room exception available, however.
- Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats' major free agent signing (Ramon Sessions) was only for two years and $10MM, which could have been achieved using the mid-level exception. However, being below the cap allowed them to claim and acquire Brendan Haywood after he was amnestied by the Mavericks. The Bobcats have less than $2MM in cap space remaining, but do still have their $2.575MM room exception.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs haven't taken advantage of their huge amount of cap room yet this season, but their approximate $11MM in space could come in handy later in the year, if they agree to take on a bad contract and acquire assets of value in the process.
- Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks entered the offseason having cleared just enough cap room to make Deron Williams a maximum-salary offer, but when D-Will returned to the Nets, the Mavs used that money to add a handful of other players. Chris Kaman's one-year, $8MM deal wouldn't have been possible without cap space, and neither would the team's amnesty bid on Elton Brand.
- Houston Rockets: At one point, the Rockets were so far under the cap that they appeared to be a frontrunner for Dwight Howard, considering they could take on virtually all of the Magic's bad contracts. Much of that space was chewed up on big deals for Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik though — the two players will earn close to $17MM annually between them.
- Indiana Pacers: Most of the Pacers' big deals this summer involved re-signing players with Bird Rights (Roy Hibbert, George Hill) or acquiring players via sign-and-trade (Ian Mahinmi). Still, it was necessary to use cap space in order to sign both D.J. Augustin and Gerald Green to $3.5MM salaries, something that wouldn't have been possible with the mid-level exception.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves were very active this summer, attempting to clear every last dollar from their books to make a big offer to Nicolas Batum. When the Blazers matched their offer sheet for Batum, the T-Wolves used their plethora of cap room to sign Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, and Greg Stiemsma.
- New Orleans Hornets: You could argue that the biggest move of the Hornets' summer was drafting Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers in June, or matching a max offer sheet for Eric Gordon. But their big move with cap space involved acquiring Ryan Anderson from the Magic in a sign-and-trade for four years and $34MM, a figure that wouldn't have been possible without cap room.
- Philadelphia 76ers: I didn't love the Sixers' decision to amnesty Elton Brand and clear cap space when the team ended up using that space to sign Nick Young and Kwame Brown. The Andrew Bynum acquisition makes the team's offseason look much better, but cap room wasn't necessary for that deal. The Young signing was the only move that required the space, since his one-year contract exceeds the $5MM mid-level.
- Phoenix Suns: After employing their cap space to make a maximum offer to Eric Gordon, the Suns turned to Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley, and a handful of other free agents when Gordon was retained by the Hornets. The Suns still have over $8MM in space remaining, so like the Cavs, they could take on salary later in the season.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Like the Suns and Eric Gordon, the Blazers used their cap space to make a failed bid for Roy Hibbert. After that didn't work out, re-signing Nicolas Batum and J.J. Hickson took up a good chunk of their room, leaving them only about $2MM under the cap.
- Sacramento Kings: The Kings slipped below the cap, but didn't appear to have big plans for that space — they re-signed Jason Thompson, which could have been done without cap room, and Aaron Brooks' deal was for a modest $3.25MM.
- Toronto Raptors: The Raptors' cap space was necessary to make a run at Steve Nash. While that bid failed, the team made the most of its space when they acquired Kyle Lowry from the Rockets without sending out any salary, simply absorbing Lowry's deal under the cap. Landry Fields' three-year, $18MM+ contract also wouldn't have been possible without that cap space.