Andre Miller

Wolves Sign Andre Miller

AUGUST 3RD, 1:50pm: The deal is official, the team announced (Twitter link).

6:09pm: Miller will receive a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).  He adds that Miller goes back with T’Wolves assistant Ryan Saunders from their time together with the Wizards.

JULY 29TH, 5:55pm: The Wolves have signed guard Andre Miller, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).  The terms of the deal have yet to be reported.

Miller, 39, began the season with the Wizards as a backup for John Wall but a February trade sent him out west to the Kings.  Coach George Karl was known to be fond of Miller and pushed the front office to make the deal.  Shortly after going from the nation’s capital to California’s capital, Miller indicated that he would be interested in re-signing.  Team exec Vlade Divac said recently that the Kings were in touch with Miller, but for one reason or another, that reunion did not take place.

In 81 games last season, Miller averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.5 APG in 15.5 minutes per contest.  The well-traveled Miller is now set to join his eighth team as he enters his 17th season in the league.

Wolves Notes: LaVine, Miller, Garnett

The staff at ESPN.com ran down a number of topics for the upcoming NBA season, including a debate on who the top breakthrough player will be, and J.A. Adande chose Wolves youngster Zach LaVine.  LaVine, he feels, will go from a guy known just for his dunks into someone who will be recognized as a legitimate player.  The Wolves made LaVine a full-time starter for the final stretch of is rookie year and he averaged roughly 20 points, 6 assists, and 5 boards in that time.  Here’s more on the Wolves..

  • Former Nets exec Bobby Marks (on Twitter) opined that if he were a young player, he would want to join up with the Wolves to play with Kevin Garnett and Andre Miller.  The Wolves signed Miller on Wednesday, presumably in large part because of his basketball IQ and the wisdom he can impart on the team’s younger players.  Before signing Miller, Marks notes (on Twitter) that the Wolves had the eighth-youngest team in the NBA at an average of about 25 years old.  Nine of those Wolves players are under the age of 25.
  • Wolves coach/exec Flip Saunders may still add another veteran between now and the start of the season, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets.
  • Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune (on Twitter) also believes that the Wolves could add another vet to their young roster.  Another roster move involving Damjan Rudez or Anthony Bennett could make room for a free agent signing, Zgoda says.
  • Miller “was sold on the direction of the [Wolves] and the veteran leadership he could provide,” agent Andy Miller told Krawczynski (on Twitter).

Pacific Notes: Hibbert, Young, Brown, Davis

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said in an appearance on Time Warner Cable SportsNet that he had the Roy Hibbert trade lined up with the Pacers in advance of the start of free agency as a fallback in case the Lakers fell short with their primary free agent targets, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe all passed on the purple-and-gold, so Hibbert it is for the Lakers, who made his acquisition the last of their moves under the cap. That’s key, since it meant that the trade wouldn’t otherwise work unless Hibbert agreed to waive part of his 15% trade kicker. He wouldn’t have been allowed to waive it unless the Lakers were in such a position, but they were, and he gave back all but $78,185 of what otherwise would have been $2.3MM, according to Pincus (Twitter links).

Here’s the latest from the Pacific Division:

  • The 2018 first-round pick that the Kings owe the Sixers from this month’s three-player trade is protected only for the top 10 picks, according to salary cap expert Larry Coon (Twitter link). It’s unprotected for 2019. It’s possible that it’ll roll over to 2019 even if Sacramento’s pick ends up out of the top 10 in 2018 if the Kings have to send their 2017 first-rounder to the Bulls as part of a previous trade, Coon notes (on Twitter; also see RealGM).
  • The 2020 second-round pick that the Suns will receive from the Pistons as part of the Marcus Morris trade is Detroit’s own selection, according to RealGM.
  • Despite Nick Young reportedly being on the trading block, Kupchak said of the forward, “I do see him being a core player this year,” Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times tweets. The GM did stress that Young would need to show improvement on the defensive side of the game, Bresnahan adds.
  • Lakers second round pick Anthony Brown‘s contract calls for him to earn $700k for the 2015/16 season, $875k the second year, and $1MM in 2017/18, Pincus relays (Twitter links). The first two years of the deal are fully guaranteed, but the final season is non-guaranteed, Pincus adds.
  • Kings executive Vlade Divac said that Sacramento has had discussions with unrestricted free agent point guard Andre Miller, but the team is exploring numerous options, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (Twitter link).
  • Brandon Bass‘ free agent deal with the Lakers is for two years and $6.135MM, and includes a player option for the second season, note Pincus and Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links). Bass was signed using available cap space, which means Los Angeles still retains its $2.8MM room exception, Bresnahan tweets.
  • Kupchak said that if unrestricted free agent Ed Davis had waited one more day before signing a deal with the Blazers, the Lakers would have been able to re-sign him, Pincus tweets. Instead, Davis inked a three-year, $20MM pact with Portland.
  • The Warriors are considering promoting assistant Luke Walton to replace Alvin Gentry as the associate head coach on Steve Kerr‘s staff, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Miller, Beal, Payton

Former Wizard Andre Miller said he got the “bad end of the stick” in Washington, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The veteran point guard was shipped to Sacramento in a deadline-day trade that reunited him with longtime coach George Karl. Miller, 38, implies that the trade was the Wizards’ way of blaming him for their midseason downturn. He was backing up John Wall in Washington, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in just 12.4 minutes of playing time. Miller also expessed his frustration to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post (Twitter link): “For a guy to only play 10 minutes a game you figure why would I be the one to get moved,” Miller asked. “But I try not to individualize it.”

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

  • The Wizards need more production from Bradley Beal to become a serious playoff contender, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Beal, who recently returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a stress reaction in his right leg, agreed with that assessment. “My game definitely has to escalate,” he said. “And it has to escalate now. I know it starts with John [Wall] and [me]. I have to definitely step up my play. He’s been playing well all year and I’ve been on a roller coaster. I definitely have to be aggressive and be the star that people think I should be.”
  • Elfrid Payton‘s troubles at the free throw line won’t keep him out of the Magic lineup, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Interim Orlando coach James Borrego said he will keep playing the rookie regardless of how he shoots foul shots. “I’m not going to take him out if they keep hacking him,” Borrego said. Payton is shooting 53% from the line and had a particularly bad performance Friday against Boston, making just four of 15 as the Celtics purposely fouled him.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Stoudemire, Miller

Despite missing on all of their buyout market targets after creating some roster flexibility with the idea of adding veteran talent after the trade deadline, Doc Rivers is nonetheless content with the Clippers’ roster as it is, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Among the Clippers’ missed targets are Josh Smith (Rockets), Kendrick Perkins (Cavaliers), Kevin Garnett (Timberwolves) and Tayshaun Prince (Pistons). They still have an open invitation out to Ray Allen, Markazi notes, but execs around the league are reportedly losing faith that he’ll sign with any team.

“We like our team,” Rivers said. “We actually like our basketball team, and if we could add something that can help that, we will. What people don’t understand is chemistry is so freaking important. Unless it’s somebody you think is going to really change your team, this team was a couple bad plays in Game 6 away from the Western Conference finals last year. We lost some guys and added some guys, but we like our team.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Amar’e Stoudemire, who will be a free agent in July, would welcome a return to the Suns, where he spent his first eight seasons, sources told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Stoudemire loves the city, and his knees could benefit from a reunion with the Suns’ renowned medical staff, Beck wrote, but it’s unclear if the Suns would reciprocate the interest. Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote earlier this month that a return to Phoenix for next season was “quite possible”.
  • Andre Miller would be interested in re-signing with the Kings, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The 16th-year veteran whom the Kings acquired a week ago in a deadline-day trade turns 39 next month, but he still wants to continue playing after the season, when his contract is up.
  • Archie Goodwin is showcasing his ability and making the most of his boosted minutes in the Suns’ regular rotation, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The Suns informed inquiring teams before the trade deadline that Goodwin, whose rookie scale contract runs through 2016/17, is a big part of the franchise’s future. Goodwin, who said earlier this season that comments attributed to him about his frustration with a lack of playing in a report were taken out of context, has made four rotation appearances in a row after making only four appearances totaling 16 minutes from New Year’s Day through the All-Star break.

Kings, Wizards Swap Sessions, Miller

4:53pm: The Kings have followed with an official announcement of their own.

“Adding Andre bolsters our backcourt with one of the most prolific ball distributors in the game,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said. “He’ll also provide veteran leadership to the locker room and a wealth of experience at the point guard position. We’re excited to have him join the team. We also want to thank Ramon and wish him the best moving forward.” 

4:13pm: The deal is official, the Wizards announce.

Ramon is a proven veteran who will bring an up-tempo style to our second unit and give us quickness, energy and defensive presence, Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said. He can make plays for himself as well as others and will help to solidify our bench as we head into the final 28 games of the season and the playoffs.  

11:02am: The Kings and Wizards have agreed to swap Ramon Sessions and Andre Miller, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). New Kings coach George Karl had pushed to acquire Miller, whom he coached in Denver, Wojnarowski writes in a full story. The Wizards had been seeking an upgrade in the backcourt as Miller had lost playing time to Garrett Temple of late.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Harris, Miller

With the Pistons suddenly a mere two games behind the Nets for the eighth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, the franchise’s approach to the upcoming trade deadline is changing with each victory, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “Of course it does,” Detroit’s president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy said when asked whether the team’s winning ways have altered its trade outlook. “I think you make adjustments probably every week in that regard, in terms of looking at where you are, and where you want to be, and everything else. It doesn’t mean you won’t do anything but it certainly, if you’re continuing to play really well, it changes the way you look at it, yeah, no question.”

Here’s more from the East:

  • Van Gundy isn’t itching to make a move that could disrupt the Pistons‘ chemistry, Mayo adds, but he wouldn’t pass up the chance to add a high-character player who could add something to the team. “Look, we’re not where we want to eventually be,” Van Gundy said. “I love the way we’re playing now, and hopefully the rest of this year will go very well. But we’re not going to rest on that until we’re into contention. There’s a long way from 14-24 to being a contender and we’ve got to keep that goal in mind, and not get overly wrapped up in playing 10 good games here.
  • There’s a split among executives around the league about whether the Magic would match a lucrative offer sheet for Tobias Harris this summer, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports.
  • Veteran point guard Andre Miller will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, but Miller says he has zero plans to retire and is looking to secure a multi-year deal with the Wizards if given the chance, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders reports. “I would like to close it out here,” Miller told Greene. “I’m just enjoying this [success] and taking it one game at a time. Putting all my effort into practices and getting the most out of myself as far as being a team player. So I haven’t really thought about my contract situation. But of course I will continue to play next year barring any injuries.  So let’s see what happens this summer.”

Eastern Notes: MCW, Miller, Hornets, LeBron

The 76ers appear to be a very future-minded organization, but Michael Carter-Williams is only focused on winning in the present, writes Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com.  “I can’t sit here and look too far in the future,” Carter-Williams explained. “I know that it may seem that that’s where the hope is, in the future, and a lot of people are focused on that, but we won’t get to that future if we don’t go through what we need to go through now.” As we wait to see if MCW can help the Sixers surprise people this season, let’s have a look at the latest from the East:

  • Wizards guard Andre Miller refuses to say that the upcoming season will be his last, observes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.  Miller, 38, hopes to continue playing beyond this season and says that he feels good as 2014/15 fast approaches.  The veteran averaged career lows of 4.9 points and 3.4 assists last season.
  • The offseason addition of Lance Stephenson should help the Hornets take the next step towards becoming an Eastern Conference contender, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.  The controversial forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field last season, and at 24 years old, he has plenty of room to grow.
  • Just like a new TV deal was negotiated years in advance, Cavs star LeBron James says he would like to see a new CBA hammered out ahead of time, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.  “We would love to do it sooner than later,” said James.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Wizards To Retain Andre Miller

The Wizards have let Andre Miller know that they’ll keep him past Saturday, when his $2MM partial guarantee for next season jumps to a full guarantee on his $4.625MM salary, agent Andy Miller tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The Wizards had been leaning toward keeping him, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post reported earlier today, advancing an earlier report of the same from Marc Stein of ESPN.com in May.

Miller filled a need at backup point guard this past season when he came over to Washington at the trade deadline. Still, he played even fewer minutes per game for the Wizards than he did in the first half of the season for Denver, where he clashed with coach Brian Shaw, who had already cut his playing time. The Wizards appear to be making a strong push to re-sign both Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza, one made even more important with today’s news of Martell Webster‘s back surgery, and the savings that could be reaped from waiving Miller might have come in handy.

The 38-year-old Miller was nonetheless a functional part of the rotation on the most successful Wizards team in more than three decades, and his 14.6 PER is a desirable figure for a bench player. His contract expires after the coming season, so the Wizards aren’t making a lengthy commitment. Michael suggests that the deal Wizards draft-and-stash prospect Tomas Satoransky has with a team in Spain coupled with the team’s failure to land preferred draft target Spencer Dinwiddie helped make the team’s decision regarding Miller easier.

Wizards Notes: Gortat, Ariza, Miller, Satoransky

The Wizards didn’t end up with a player from Thursday’s draft, trading their only pick, Jordan Clarkson at No. 46, to the Lakers for $1.8MM. Washington’s focus appears to be on free agency instead, and there’s news about Marcin Gortat, presumably the team’s top offseason priority, amid the latest from the nation’s capital:

  • Gortat and Trevor Ariza are “priority 1A and 1A” for the Wizards, who’ll meet with the swingman after seeing Gortat, Michael tweets.

Earlier updates:

  • Wizards coach Randy Wittman and senior vice president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard are headed to Gortat’s native Poland to convince the soon-to-be free agent center to re-sign with the team, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The Wizards are “extremely optimistic” that the visit will cinch a deal with the 30-year-old, Michael adds via Twitter.
  • The Wizards are leaning toward retaining Andre Miller rather than waiving him before his $4.625MM salary becomes fully guaranteed at the end of Saturday, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Miller’s contract is already partially guaranteed for $2MM.
  • Wizards 2012 second-round pick Tomas Satoransky will remain in Spain for next season after agreeing to a deal with FC Barcelona, as fellow Post scribe Brandon Parker details. Washington knew of the agreement before it traded Clarkson to the Lakers, Parker notes.