Odds & Ends: Nets, Lopez, Suns, Scalabrine
A look around the league as we await Game 3 of Spurs–Clippers..
- Nets General Manager Billy King says that center Brook Lopez's recovery is underway, but the big man is not yet up to running or jumping, tweets Andy Vasquez of the Star-Ledger. Lopez, 24, is a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Suns plan to match offers to restricted free agent Robin Lopez but will have someone different mentoring the center if he returns. After four seasons with the Suns, assistant coach Bill Cartwright's contract will not be renewed, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic.
- Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine, who is set to hit free agency, told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he plans to play in the NBA for as long as he can. The 34-year-old fan favorite would also like to explore coaching and color commentary after his playing career is through.
- The Nets' draft combine at their practice facility is jam-packed with team executives and coaches but many prospects declined their invitation and missed a great opportunity for exposure, says Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter links).
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Warriors, Suns, Clippers
After blowing a seven-point lead on Wednesday night, the Lakers will look to come out strong in tonight's Game 3 against the Thunder to avoid going down 3-0. Los Angeles has seen a great deal of turnover in recent years and while the Lakers have more playoff experience, Kobe Bryant recently noted that the Thunder have been playing together as a group for longer. Let's head out west for a look at items out of the Pacific Division..
- The Lakers only have one pick in the 2012 Draft (No. 60), but it sounds like they want to acquire another second-round pick, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops World. The Cavaliers own the Lakers' first-round pick this year (No. 24) thanks to the Ramon Sessions trade.
- Kennedy also notes (via Twitter) that the Lakers worked out several draft prospects last week including guards Tu Holloway, Marcus Denmon, and Charlie Westbrook.
- For the Warriors to have a real breakthrough, they'll have to overcome inexperience both on- and off-the-court, writes Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com. While head coach Mark Jackson enjoyed a 17-year playing career and GM Bob Myers was an NBA agent for more than a dozen years, both men are neophytes to their current roles.
- David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at the Suns draft needs, with and without Steve Nash at point guard.
- In a piece for ESPNLosAngeles.com, Justin Verrier talks with Clippers forward Reggie Evans about his career as a rebounding specialist and unlikely success story as an undrafted free agent.
Southwest Links: Suns, Mavs, Olympics
With the veteran Spurs looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead on the Clippers tonight, lets look at some links for the Western Conference's Southwest division:
- Stefan Swiat of Suns.com takes an initial look at the Suns draft situation. The team has a miniscule chance of obtaining the top pick and will likely pick around number 13, where last year they took Markieff Morris. Swiat rounds up the mocks of several websites, most of which have the Suns taking a guard, presumably anticipating the departure of free agent Steve Nash.
- Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News answered questions in a chat today (full transcript here). Cowlishaw points to the Spurs as an example of why the Mavericks must draft a "contributing rookie" regardless of position in June.
- Cowlishaw adds that the Lamar Odom experiment in Dallas was a worthwhile endeavor that never should have gone as sour as it did. He says trading Odom is an option, but is skeptical of the number of suitors and the return.
- Finally, Cowlishaw gives his take on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's position against his players participating in the Olympics. Cowlishaw tends to agree with Cuban, saying that professional basketball players aren't as engrained in Olympic history as other athletes, like hockey players for example.
Poll: Where Will Steve Nash End Up?
One of the most high-profile players to hit free agency this summer will be Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash. The 38-year-old continues to express interest in returning to the Suns, although there is heavy speculation that he will instead sign with a contender such as the Heat. He’s also been linked to the Blazers, Knicks, and Raptors in various scenarios. Where do you think Nash will play in 2012/13?
Where Will Steve Nash Play In 2012/13?
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Miami 25% (304)
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New York 23% (276)
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Toronto 18% (219)
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Phoenix 16% (188)
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Other 14% (167)
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Portland 4% (53)
Total votes: 1,207
Shannon Brown Interested In Returning To Suns
Fresh off of a career season with the Suns, Shannon Brown has expressed interest in returning to Phoenix next year, according to Paul Coro of AZCentral.com.
"I would like to come back, (and) I understand it's a business at the same time. Whatever happens, happens, but I've expressed my interest."
Coro writes that Brown's thought process in free agency will be based on the plans of Steve Nash, with whom he enjoyed sharing the back court with. The 6'4 guard also mentioned that he does not want to play on another one-year contract again, for fear that falling out of the rotation could signal the end of his playing career. In February, Coro documented Shannon's frustration as he struggled to crack Alvin Gentry's rotation. However, Brown was able to find his niche after the All-Star break, earning 23.3 MPG in March and 29.9 MPG in April (compared to 18.8 in February).
The former Michigan State Spartan played on a one-year, $3.5 MM contract with the Suns this season and averaged a career high in minutes (23.7), points (11.0), and shot attempts (10.1), while shooting 42% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range. To his credit, Brown averaged 14.9 PPG and 39.2% from three in the final month of the season, when Phoenix was still playing meaningful games to secure a playoff spot.
Suns Pursuing Alonzo Gee
The Suns are targeting Cavs restricted free agent Alonzo Gee with a multi-year offer worth $4MM per season, according to a tweet from Brendan Bowers of SLAM Online. Teams can't start signing other teams' free agents until July, but Bowers says the Suns are the early leaders for Gee's services.
Gee blossomed this season in Cleveland, having bounced around the NBA and the D-League his first two seasons after going undrafted out of Alabama. The 6'6", 220-pound swingman averaged 10.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG, both career highs, while posting a 13.2 PER. He supplanted Omri Casspi as the starter at small forward midway through the season. Gee just finished the second year of a minimum-salary contract he signed with the Cavs in December 2010 shortly after the Wizards waived him.
The Cavs figure to have plenty of cap space this summer, particularly once they get rid of the $18MM+ cap hold of Antawn Jamison, who's unlikely to re-sign with the team. They should have the ability to match, if they so choose. The Suns will have a lot of cap space, too, and their pursuit of Gee indicates they may be reluctant to re-sign incumbent small forward Grant Hill, who turns 40 in October. Phoenix's offseason plans are beginning to take shape, as earlier this week Lon Babby, the team's president of basketball operations, said it was likely the Suns would match any offer for restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
Aaron Brooks Looking For Starting Job
After spending the 2011/12 season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, Aaron Brooks is back in the United States and ready to explore NBA free agency. The guard says that he will keep his options open but sounds as though he will prioritize opportunities to start.
“I want to be a starter,” the 27-year-old told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. “I definitely feel that I’m a starter in this league. If I’m not a starter, I’m definitely trying to be Sixth Man of the Year. No matter what happens, I want to go out there and outplay my contract. I want to be successful and contribute to a team.”
The Suns have exclusive negotiating rights with Brooks until July because of his decision to spend the season outside of the NBA. The club remains undecided on what course of action they will take.
In March, General Manager Lance Blanks visited Brooks in China to check in with the point guard and discuss his possible future with the team. Brooks was told that the club would first wait to see what happens with Steve Nash before entering into talks with him.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Profits, Suns, Draft
It was another wild night of playoff basketball that included more unfortunate injuries, this time to the Bulls Joakim Noah and Avery Bradley of the Celtics. Here's what's been going on off the court while you've had your eyes fixed on the hardwood:
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel dissects the latest comments from Dwight Howard, who told TMZ that he would never quit on his team or Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, with whom D12 says he's had several conversations since the start of the playoffs.
- Commissioner David Stern says that most NBA teams will turn a profit this year, and predicts all 30 franchises will be profitable within two years, according to a report from Jonathan D. Salant of Bloomberg News, who rounded up comments Stern made on a Bloomberg Television show airing this weekend. Stern had said during the latest CBA negotiations that NBA teams had lost a combined $300MM over the previous three seasons.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic examines the desire of the Suns to keep restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
- HoopsWorld unveiled its mock draft, with all four contributors agreeing on Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal for the top three spots. Steve Kyler adds a report that Arnett Moultrie and Andrew Nicholson are rocketing up some teams' draft boards.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune compares the approaches of Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor and Spurs GM R.C. Buford, both of whom share a connection with longtime NBA coach Larry Brown.
- Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida breaks down the potential U.S. Olympic team roster, and Rob Mahoney of The New York Times examines what the team needs.
Pacific Notes: Lee, Fields, Odom, Kobe, Fisher
Tonight, the Lakers look to take a commanding 3-0 lead on the Nuggets, while the Clippers await the first home playoff game of the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era tomorrow. Here's what's happening off the court in the Pacific:
- Warriors big man David Lee might have been selected as a finalist for the U.S. Olympic team had it not been for his recent surgery to repair an abdominal muscle, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida notes.
- Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group believes restricted free agent Landry Fields could be a fit for the Warriors if they don't bring back Brandon Rush or Dorell Wright.
- The Suns should pursue Lamar Odom despite the risks, argues Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Odom thrived under Suns coach Alvin Gentry when both were with the Clippers, and last season's Sixth Man of the Year should be available for a reasonable price, Coro contends.
- Kobe Bryant, one of the league's fiercest competitors, might have to work harder to shield his softer side in the next round of the playoffs if the Lakers match up with former teammate Derek Fisher and the Thunder, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com observes. “I’d be a little torn,” Bryant said.“I’ve always wanted to see him do well, I’m always pulling for him and so forth. But at the same time, being great friends, somebody has to win and I’d rather it be me.”
Kyler On Williams, Nash, Gordon, Mayo, Hibbert
In his NBA AM column at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler shares the latest rumblings on a handful of this summer's top free agents. Here are the highlights:
- It's far from a done deal, but the general feeling around the Nets is that they're in the driver's seat for Deron Williams. Kyler names the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Magic as other teams that figure to aggressively pursue the point guard.
- Steve Nash continues to tell people that returning to Phoenix is a "real and viable option." Kyler points out that even if Nash ends up elsewhere, the Suns could work out a sign-and-trade to get something out of it.
- It's nearly a lock that Eric Gordon will be retained by the Hornets, but it's not clear how high the bidding will go. The Hornets were unable to agree on an extension with Gordon earlier this season, and while that was due in part to not having new ownership in place yet, there are also questions about the 23-year-old's durability.
- According to Kyler, there's a good chance O.J. Mayo doesn't become a restricted free agent this summer, since a qualifying offer would put the Grizzlies over the tax line. If Memphis doesn't extend a qualifying offer, Mayo would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
- Kevin Garnett would like to finish his career with the Celtics.
- The Pacers are prepared to match just about any offer for Roy Hibbert, and will let the market set the price for their center.
- The Nets hope to deal with Brook Lopez's free agency after working out some of their other situations, but Lopez could disrupt their plans if he signs an offer sheet with another club early in the free agent period.