Alan Anderson

Alan Anderson Changes Agents

Veteran wing player Alan Anderson, currently a member of the Clippers, has made a change to his representation. According to HoopsHype (via Twitter), Anderson, who was previously repped by agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Entertainment, has hired Chris Luchey as his agent.

Anderson, who turns 34 in October, parlayed a solid stint in Brooklyn into a one-year, $4MM deal with the Wizards last season. However, ankle and groin issues limited him to just 13 games.

While Anderson’s brief stint in Washington wasn’t a success, he was a decent role player in four previous seasons for the Nets and Raptors, averaging 8.4 PPG and shooting 34.3% on three-pointers in 234 total contests for the two clubs. Anderson’s track record earned him another guaranteed deal this summer, albeit a minimum-salary one — he signed with the Clippers earlier this month.

As our agency database shows, Priority’s roster of NBA clients is far more extensive than Luchey’s at CGL Sports, so Anderson will be joining a smaller agency as he prepares to enter another contract year.

Western Notes: Barnes, Bogut, Clippers

Harrison Barnes is competing in his first Olympics, but he had plenty of offseason excitement before the Summer Games started, writes Joe Rexrode of The Des Moines Register. After being a key part of a Warriors team that set a league record with 73 wins in a season, Barnes found himself cut free when Golden State needed his cap room to sign Kevin Durant. Barnes wound up inking a four-year $94MM deal with the Mavericks, who plan to make him one of the focal points of their offense. “I think Harrison wants an opportunity to go to a team and be the guy,” said fellow Team USA member and former Warriors teammate Draymond Green, “and he has that opportunity, which I’m not mad at him about. He already has a championship, and that’s what he’ll be remembered as. He’s a champion, and no one can ever take that away.”

There’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Mavericks didn’t try to stop newly acquired center Andrew Bogut from playing in the Olympics, according to Kareem Copeland of The Associated Press. Bogut, who came to Dallas in a trade last month, is still recovering from a hyperextended knee he suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. At age 31, Bogut believes this is his last shot at the Olympics and he feared the Mavericks might ask him to sit out and rest the knee, but he said the team approved as long as he was healthy. “I was like, I don’t want it to end that way where I’m just sitting at home with ice on my knee if I can give it a crack,” Bogut said after leading Australia past France today. “I didn’t want it taken away that easily. I said I’ll give it a crack up until this day. If it wasn’t right yesterday, I’d put my hand up and I’m on a flight back home.”
  • The Clippers became hard-capped over the summer, but were able to rebuild their bench by adding several veterans on team-friendly contracts, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In his offseason review, Marks notes that Marreese Speights, Raymond Felton, Alan Anderson and Brandon Bass all signed with L.A. for the minimum, allowing the Clippers to add depth at an affordable price. The team is currently $1.4MM above the luxury tax with 15 guaranteed contracts and will face a repeater tax if doesn’t drop below the threshold by the season’s end.

Clippers Sign Alan Anderson

AUGUST 3, 1:25pm: The Clippers have officially signed Anderson, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 2, 7:14pm: Anderson’s deal is for one year and is worth the veteran’s minimum, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets.

6:37pm: The Clippers have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent Alan Anderson, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register reports (via Twitter). The length and terms of the arrangement are unknown, but given Los Angeles’ lack of cap space, it is likely a minimum salary pact.

There were reports that the Wizards were considering re-signing Anderson, though their interest was categorized as minimal. The swingman was limited to 13 games last season with Washington after undergoing offseason surgery on his left ankle. He averaged 5.0 points , 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.8 minutes per outing in 2015/16.

Anderson, 33, has appeared in a total of 300 regular season NBA games over the course of his career. He owns career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting .406/.345/.818.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Udrih, Wizards, Anderson

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel details, Dwyane Wade‘s decision to leave the Heat this offseason essentially boiled down to eight words he said during a Sunday interview with ESPN: “They made a choice; I made a choice.”

“My time, the clock ticked out on me,” Wade said in the ESPN interview. “And whether they (the Heat) felt it, whether they wanted to do it, I did. And I respectfully walk away saying I tip my hat to their organization and to the city for embracing me and giving me the platform to be great. And I did that. I was great. It will always be there. But I’ve got more things to do.”

Here are a few more items from out of the Southeast, including more on the Heat:

  • The Heat essentially have a “standing invitation” out to Beno Udrih for a minimum-salary contract if he can’t find a better deal than that elsewhere, writes Winderman. It’s not clear whether or not Miami’s standing offer to the veteran point guard would be fully guaranteed.
  • While a player like Dion Waiters could help the Heat win more games this year, Winderman suggests that the Heat should prioritize the development of their core players like Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, and Tyler Johnson.
  • Although the Wizards appear content with their current roster, the club continues to scour the market and may consider adding a wing player, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Michael identifies Alan Anderson as a veteran free agent who may end up returning to Washington, though he cautions that a deal still appears unlikely at this point.

Free Agent Notes: T. Robinson, K. Martin, Waiters

David Lee is one of the more noteworthy scoring big men remaining on the free agent market, while Alan Anderson and Steve Novak are among the veteran shooters still available. All three players are in talks with multiple teams, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, though Bartelstein doesn’t specify potential suitors for his clients.

Although free agent spending this summer has reached new highs, we’re at the point in the offseason where most veteran free agents left on the market – especially players like Lee, Anderson and Novak, who were sidelined by injuries last season – will have trouble finding deals worth more than the minimum. Many teams don’t even have roster spots available for another guaranteed contract or two, so we’ll have to wait and see if those veterans (and others) will be able to find new homes in the coming days or weeks.

Let’s check in on some other free agent updates from around the NBA:

  • After opting out of his contract with the Nets last month, Thomas Robinson has drawn interest from the Pacers, Suns, and Hawks, league sources tell Amico. Robinson’s player option for 2016/17 was worth the minimum, so if he can land a guaranteed offer, it won’t have been a mistake to turn down that option.
  • Free agent guard Kevin Martin has received some interest from the Clippers, Bulls, and Pistons, according to Amico. Chicago and Detroit both have fewer than 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and still have their $2.9MM room exception available.
  • One free agent who should be in line for a deal worth significantly more than the minimum is Dion Waiters, who is now unrestricted. However, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman notes that Waiters hasn’t generated the sort of interest he had hoped to, and wonders if the 24-year-old’s disastrous final three games against Golden State hurt his stock.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Neal, Anderson, Hawks

Udonis Haslem is returning to the Heat for his 14th season, but for the first time, he won’t be joined by longtime teammate Dwyane Wade. Speaking to reporters today on a conference call, Haslem expressed optimism about the new-look Heat, but also conveyed some disappointment over Wade’s deal with the Bulls, as Anthony Chiang of The Palm Beach Post details. “I don’t know if there’s anything I could have done or should have done,” Haslem said of Wade’s departure. “I felt like it could have been avoided but for whatever reason it just wasn’t.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • There were some players and coaches for the Wizards last season who viewed Gary Neal as “selfish,” and as someone who was most concerned about his own stats, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. On his Facebook page this week, Neal posted some of those stats as he attempted to make a case for why he should be in line for a free-agency payday.
  • Although the Wizards had been expected to meet with Alan Anderson over the weekend, that meeting still hadn’t happened as of Monday afternoon, tweets Michael. However, Anderson remains in the picture for Washington, per the CSN scribe.
  • The Hawks initially didn’t have interest in acquiring Jarrett Jack when the Nets made him available via trade. However, Atlanta eventually signed him as a free agent, and Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains why the team changed its course on Jack.
  • Heading into free agency, Marvin Williams told his agent that he was comfortable in Charlotte, and that if the Hornets made a competitive offer, he was “highly predisposed to re-sign,” writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Williams ultimately struck a four-year, $54.5MM deal with the team.

Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph

The Timberwolves offered veteran small forward Luol Deng a three-year contract at $12MM per season, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP Radio (Twitter link). Head coach and president of basketball operations Tim Thobideau refused to fully guarantee the third year, Wolfson adds. In the end, the Timberwolves didn’t come close to signing Deng, as the former Heat starter agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract with the Lakers.
In other news regarding free agency:
  • The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
  • Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
  • Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
  • Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
  • Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.

Wizards Notes: Brooks, Durant, Dudley

The specter of a head coaching vacancy on the Lakers intrigued Scott Brooks, but Washington’s quick work to secure him on a five-year, $35MM deal cut off both the Lakers, who’ve yet to decide on the fate of Byron Scott, and the Rockets, TNT’s David Aldridge tweets. Houston reportedly made him one of the favorites for its job but still has interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff in place. All five seasons of Brooks’ contract with the Wizards will be guaranteed, Aldridge hears (Twitter link), and his $7MM annual take ties him with Rick Carlisle for the highest salary among NBA coaches who don’t also have player personnel control, notes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (Twitter link). See more on the impending Brooks hiring and other issues from the nation’s capital:

  • The Brooks deal, which will pay him more than double the roughly $3MM a year that Randy Wittman was making, signals that owner Ted Leonsis is planning to spare no expense in free agency this summer, even if Kevin Durant takes a pass on returning to his native D.C., argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
  • Brooks would still be coaching the Thunder if Durant really had his heart set on playing for him, one league source told Bontemps for the same piece. Some of Durant’s friends who spoke with Chris Mannix of The Vertical cast serious doubt on the idea of Durant playing for the Wizards.
  • Jared Dudley would prefer to re-sign with the Wizards this summer, but he wants to do so with the security of a three-year contract, as he tells Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. That jibes with an earlier report from J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic, who wrote that Dudley was open to returning to Washington as long as the team fired Wittman, a move that took place last week. Dudley would also like to see the Wizards re-sign Alan Anderson and Garrett Temple, as Castillo relays.

Southeast Notes: Morris, Whiteside, Anderson

Injuries limited Alan Anderson to just 13 games for the Wizards this season, but the shooting guard, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, wants to return to Washington next season, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “I wasn’t able to show a lot of what I was capable of doing,” Anderson said. “I’m definitely a totally a different player than what I’ve shown. I definitely would love to be back. I expected to be back around January, then January went to February then February went to [late February], then I came back and got hurt again. I think me not playing kind of hurt us. I didn’t travel the first two months. We had no consistency. We’d beat tough teams and we’d lose to teams we should beat. We didn’t take care of home court as good as we should have. We were just like a roller coaster. In this league you can’t be that.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Markieff Morris is thrilled to be a member of the Wizards and appreciates how the team has utilized him thus far, Ben Standing of CSN Mid-Atlantic relays. “I love my position,” Morris told Standig. “I think they’re using me to the best of my abilities. I love my position they have me in now. I get to roam the floor. I get post-ups sometimes. Play pick-and-roll with John. Play the popper when John Wall and Marcin Gortat are playing pick-and-roll. I can’t wait to get to the summer and work with these guys. I’m 100% [with the system] right now. It takes a little while, but I’ve been here for a little while now. I’m comfortable with everybody.
  • Heat center Hassan Whiteside is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he won’t let that overshadow his excitement at being in the playoffs, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post relays. “I’m not gonna put a lot of pressure on myself,” Whiteside said. “When you start saying, ‘I gotta do this or that’… I’m just gonna play the way I’ve been playing and try to get every rebound and every block and play smart basketball. I’m not going to put pressure on myself.
  • Magic GM Rob Hennigan noted that it was a priority for the team to sign players with experience in the league this offseason, a sentiment that was echoed by many on Orlando’s current roster, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter links).
  • Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing‘s ability to relate to players is one of his strongest selling points in his bid to become a head coach, Adi Joseph of The Sporting News writes. “He’s been a tremendous help for me, personally,” Hornets combo forward Marvin Williams told Joseph. “Even though he played center, he knows the game, from the point guard to the center. So there’s been many, many times where he sees something out there, and he’ll pull me aside and help me out, whether it be offensively or defensively. He does that for a lot of guys on our team. He’ll be a fantastic head coach one day, no question.
  • The Hawks have recalled swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced.

Wizards Notes: Grunfeld, Dudley, Wittman

Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld will head the team’s search for a new coach in the wake of Randy Wittman‘s dismissal today, as Grunfeld told reporters, a remark that appears to remove lingering doubt about the executive’s future with the team, observes J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Earlier reports conflicted about Grunfeld’s job security, though he’s under contract through next season.

See more from Washington, where the Wizards reportedly have strong interest in Scott Brooks and others, as we passed along in our Wittman story.

  • Wizards players concluded that they couldn’t rely on the team’s coaches when they held a players-only meeting in January that veteran Jared Dudley organized, and Dudley criticized the coaching staff’s lack of adjustments in March, Michael notes, suggesting Wittman changed Dudley’s role in retaliation.
  • John Wall wants to see the Wizards re-sign soon-to-be free agents Dudley, Alan Anderson and Garrett Temple, Michael writes in a separate piece. Anderson is enthusiastic about a new deal with the team, and while Dudley is open to returning as long as Wittman isn’t around, he’s looking for the security of a long-term contract, according to Michael, who speculates Dudley is unlikely to be back.
  • The partial guarantee on Wittman’s salary for next season is $500K, sources tell Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (Twitter link), so the Wizards are still responsible for paying that much to the fired coach.
  • Wittman issued a statement in which he said he believes the team is headed in the right direction as he thanked the organization for the opportunity to coach, as Castillo relays via Twitter.