Jason Terry

And-Ones: G League Union, Brown, Lin, Terry

G League players will begin deciding on Saturday whether to form a union, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The National Basketball Players Association is assisting in the formation of a G League-governed union, Wojnarowski continues.

By creating a union, the players could bargain with the NBA and G League on issues such as housing, salary and travel, Wojnarowski writes.  A majority of G League players must sign an electronic authorization card for passage.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Five-star recruit Greg Brown turned down a $400K offer to join the G League’s professional pathway program and opted to sign with Texas, Jeff Goodman of GoodmanHoops tweets. Brown, a 6’9” power forward, could have joined fellow top recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd in the program but decided to spend next season with the Longhorns. “Just not rushing the process … the NBA is always going to be there,” Brown told Goodman.
  • Some foreign players are essentially stuck in China until the Chinese Basketball Association decides whether to resume its season, former NBA guard Jeremy Lin told USA Today’s Mark Medina.  Lin has been practicing regularly with the Beijing Ducks. The CBA was expected to restart in April but those plans were shelved due to continuing concerns about players contracting the novel coronavirus. “We’re basically just waiting until June to decide whether we play in July or not,” Lin said. “That’s the current situation. We’re kind of in limbo right now.”
  • Longtime NBA player Jason Terry has accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Arizona, Jason Scheer of 247Sports reports. The news regarding Terry, who played for the Wildcats from 1995-99, won’t be official for several weeks since the school currently has a hiring freeze.

Jason Terry Joins Texas Legends As Assistant GM

The Mavericks‘ G League affiliate – the Texas Legends – has added Jason Terry to its front office staff as an assistant GM.

“We are thrilled to have Jason come on board,” said Legends President/General Manager Malcolm Farmer in a statement. “His resume speaks for itself. He had a tenured NBA career for a reason, and to have him bring that skillset and work ethic to the table is invaluable for our team and staff.”

Terry, who previously won a championship with the Mavericks, will be assisting the G League club with all aspects of basketball operations. Terry spent eight of his 19 years in the NBA with the Mavericks, appearing in 619 games for the club.

“It’s great to begin my front office career here,” said Terry. “The Dallas area has been home to me and my family for many years and the Mavericks franchise has always been family. To get to work with this organization in this capacity is exciting. I look forward to getting started.”

Jason Terry To Play In BIG3

Former NBA champion and Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry is the latest big-name addition to the BIG3, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Terry, 41, appeared in 51 games for the Bucks just last season, but despite his desire to play a 20th NBA season, he didn’t catch on with a team in 2018/19. Instead, he’ll set his sights on Ice Cube‘s three-on-three league, as he’ll participate in the 2019 BIG3 season. Speaking to James Herbert of CBSSports.com, Terry said he decided to join the BIG3 because of his “love for the game and for the fans.”

“Watching the BIG3 the last two years — the first year I was able to attend the championship game in Vegas, last year I was at one of the home games in Dallas — sitting courtside, I promised Cube, the very first year that I retire, that I will play in the BIG3,” Terry said.

Terry, who currently ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time list with 2,282 three-pointers made, also vowed to take full advantage of the ability to attempt four-point shots in the BIG3.

“I love it. I love that dynamic of the game,” Terry told Herbert. “I think it’s a part of the game that, guys in today’s NBA, they shoot it from long range but they only get three points for it. Now we’re out here in the BIG3, I’m going to get four points for something that I ordinarily did. An extra point goes a long way for me.”

Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Smith, and Mario Chalmers are among the other players that have committed to playing in the BIG3 in 2019. The league also announced a couple more additions to its player pool in recent days, confirming (via Twitter) that NBA veterans Ronnie Brewer and Brandon Rush will participate this season.

Jason Terry Has Interest In Lakers, Warriors, Mavericks

Veteran guard Jason Terry considers himself retired unless he receives an offer from the Lakers, Warriors or Mavericks, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Terry made the comments as part of the Dallas broadcast of Saturday’s game, adding, “Then I’ll answer the phone.”

Terry, 41, played 19 NBA seasons, including the past two with Milwaukee. He averaged 3.3 PPG in 51 games last year and was hoping for another season with the Bucks, but the opportunity never came.

A career 38% shooter from 3-point range, Terry had his best years with the Hawks and Mavericks, winning a championship with Dallas in 2011. He signed with Boston in 2012 and entered a journeyman phase of his career, spending one season with the Celtics, another with the Nets and two with the Rockets before coming to Milwaukee.

There’s no indication that any of Terry’s preferences are considering giving him an opportunity. Golden State has a roster opening, but may not fill the spot all season to lessen its luxury tax. The Warriors are also waiting to see what happens with Patrick McCaw, who remains a restricted free agent.

The Lakers and Mavericks both have full 15-man rosters and would have to unload a guaranteed salary to add Terry.

And-Ones: 2019 FAs, MVP Odds, Oldest Vets

An ESPN panel was asked where they think some of the top-projected free agents of 2019 might end up next summer. The results were interesting, with the panel making a prediction for five players: Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson.

As we explored earlier this summer, both Irving and Butler have reportedly expressed interested in playing together, and the panel obviously took that into consideration, predicting both players to suit up for the Knicks next season. However, the Celtics were a close second for Irving.

Interestingly, the Lakers were the second-highest voted selection for both Butler and Thompson, and the first-place selection for Leonard by a wide-margin. Meanwhile, both Thompson and Durant are projected to return to the Warriors.

We have more from around the league:

Jason Terry Wants One More Year With Bucks

Veteran guard Jason Terry has spoken repeatedly this year about wanting to play 20 NBA seasons, and with the offseason around the corner, he hasn’t changed his tune. Terry, who is coming off his 19th year in the NBA, said during his exit interview with the media that he intends to play one more season and wants it to be with the Bucks, per Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).

According to Velazquez, Terry said he has already talked to Bucks management about the possibility of spending the 2018/19 season in Milwaukee. Having been with the club for the last two years, the 40-year-old no longer has a major role in the rotation, but he has been a respected voice in the locker room.

“Obviously I know my impact,” Terry said, per an AP report (link via ESPN.com). “I’ve been here two years now. I want to see the process, the finished product, because I know the potential.”

The Bucks don’t project to have any cap room this summer, with more than $98MM in guaranteed money already on their books and Jabari Parker up for a new contract. That could work in Terry’s favor, however. Since he won’t expect more than a minimum-salary contract, the NBA’s active leader in career three-pointers could help the Bucks fill out the back of their roster on the cheap.

Central Rumors: Griffin, Pistons, Giannis, Terry

The Pistons lost five of their last six games entering Monday’s contest against the Raptors but Hornets coach Steve Clifford endorses Detroit’s Blake Griffin gamble, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Griffin is the type of player who can make a difference in the postseason, according to Clifford. “The NBA is about winning in the playoffs, right? When you’re a coach, you look at it like this. Tie score in a Game 7, there’s 12 seconds on the clock, Blake Griffin’s one of the … I don’t know, 12 to 15 guys in the league that you can’t guard one on one,” Clifford said. “The guys they gave up are terrific, OK, but they’re not go-to, Game-7-of-a-series guys that are going to dictate a double team. That’s the number one thing you have to have to win big and that’s what they picked up.”

In other news around the Central Division:

  • The Pistons’ bench has been outscored by its counterparts by an average of 21.1 points over the last six games. Coach Stan Van Gundy has tried a number of different combinations but nothing has worked. Detroit’s reserve unit has struggled since point guard Ish Smith was forced into the starting lineup after Reggie Jackson suffered a severe ankle sprain in late December.  “The biggest problem is it’s become a lower-energy lineup,” Van Gundy told Hoops Rumors.
  • The Bucks have locked up Giannis Antetokounmpo through the 2020/21 season but he has no desire to go to a big city like Los Angeles anyway, as Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. Antetokounmpo prefers the less hectic pace of a city like Milwaukee. “I love Milwaukee — it’s low-key,” he told Velazquez. “I can walk down the road, down the streets without anybody bugging me — nobody interrupts my conversation or anything. I love how quiet and calm Milwaukee is.”
  • Bucks reserve guard Jason Terry wants to play at least one more year in the league, which would allow him to reach another milestone in his long career, Genaro Armas of the Associated Press writes. “For sure, 100 percent, my goal is to play 20 seasons,” Terry said. “The organization understands that and I think the league is on notice.” Terry, 40, is averaging 2.6 PPG in 11.9 MPG. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Milwaukee Bucks

For the first time in over a decade, the Bucks have an enviable core with an ambitious ceiling. That they’re on track for a second consecutive playoff berth with one of the game’s hottest young stars is a testament to the principles put in place under the franchise’s new regime.

Of course the Bucks didn’t win the lottery over night. The club that they’ve assembled – a merry band of overachievers who have overachieved so much they may actually just be regular achievers we’ve been underestimating all along – is deep and talented.

The small-market Bucks have committed to guys who work for them and necessarily so, but while that’s all fun and games when your team has Khris Middleton and John Henson locked into team-friendly contracts because they saw value, it stings a little when there’s $20.1MM tied up between Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic, with the luxury tax looming large.

Don’t get it twisted, the Bucks have tactfully leveraged their organization’s strength while minimizing environmental challenges outside of their control. The only downside? Now that the Bucks have a core worth hanging onto – players that they’re committed to and reliant upon – managing finances becomes that much more important.

Sean Kilpatrick, SG, 28 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $0.8MM contract in 2018
Kilpatrick showed that he could put points on the board in an extended stay with the Nets between 2015 and 2017. While he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase his scoring skills so far in Milwaukee, you can bet the organization knows what he’s capable of when given a chance to fill reserve minutes out of the backcourt. Given the team’s financial constraints, it would be wise to lock in an affordable depth piece like Kilpatrick when given the opportunity.

Jabari Parker, PF, 23 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $22.2MM contract in 2014Jabari Parker vertical
A pair of ACL injuries have cast doubt on Parker’s value as a pending restricted free agent. While once it seemed extremely plausible – if not borderline inevitable – that the forward would draw a max contract out of somebody, that’s no sure thing in 2018. We wrote earlier this month that the Bucks seemed reluctant to offer Parker any more than $18MM per year. If Parker’s play from now until the end of the 2017/18 campaign justifies more than that, the franchise would need to get creative in order to bring him back in a scenario that’s financially palatable for ownership. Expect Parker to land an offer sheet from one of the few teams with cap space this summer, and for the Bucks to shed salary in order to comfortably match it and avoid the tax, even if it costs them an asset to do so. While Parker can’t be credited for much of Milwaukee’s recent success, he’s a big reason why they have such an intriguing ceiling.

Jason Terry, SG, 40 (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.3MM contract in 2017
There’s no doubt that having veteran leadership in the locker room is beneficial to young players. Still, while Terry could conceivably present as an affordable option for rounding out the depth chart next summer, his on-court value is minimal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Malcolm Brogdon Expected To Miss 6-8 Weeks

After leaving Thursday’s game with a quad injury, Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks, the club announced today in a press release. According to the team, a medical exam revealed that Brogdon had partially torn his left quadricep tendon.

In 46 games for Milwaukee this season, Brogdon has averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Lately the club has utilized the reigning Rookie of the Year as their primary backup point guard behind mid-season acquisition Eric Bledsoe.

While Brogdon’s departure may create opportunities for fellow bench guards Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry, easing the blow of his absence will be the return of forward Jabari Parker. Parker, of course, has been sidelined with an ACL injury since the 2016/17 season.

The estimated timetable for Brogdon’s recovery would put the guard back in the lineup in mid-to-late March, with more than enough time to play himself back into game shape prior to the beginning of the playoffs.

Bucks Notes: Parker, Walker, Williams

Scrapping for their spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Bucks know they need to rally around one another in the wake of the franchise’s recent coaching change, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.

Velasquez writes that young players like Thon Maker, who haven’t gone through a coaching change before, have been seeking advice from veterans who have. Considering that Jason Kidd was at the helm in Milwaukee for three and a half seasons there are a number of players like Maker for whom Kidd was the only, or at least the longest-tenured, coach they had had.

I think for the most part the message was, ‘It’s on us,’ ” Bucks veteran Jason Terry said of a team meeting after the news was announced. “Once they make the decision — which was a tough one — that they did, they put the onus on the players. We understand it’s going to take us as a group collectively.

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

  • Sidelined forward Jabari Parker rejected the notion that there was tension between he and Jason Kidd, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “He was my coach for four years and it’s always been a good relationship,” Parker said. “Any coach in a head position, we’re going to have disagreements, but most importantly he helped me.”
  • The Bucks were among the teams that contacted the Hornets about Kemba Walker prior to Michael Jordan saying that he’s not looking to deal the point guard unless he gets a marquee player in return, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets.
  • Among the frontrunners to land the full-time head coaching gig in Milwaukee is Monty Williams, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports writes. The well-respected former Pelicans coach is currently part of the Spurs’ front office and could be available to take over right away.
  • The G League affiliate of the Bucks has obtained the rights to both Gary Neal and Ricky Ledo, the team announced. Ledo is a former second-round pick of Milwaukee’s while Neal suited up for the big league club in 2013/14.