New York Notes: Stoudemire, Williams, Pierce
Here are some notes tonight on the Nets and Knicks:
- Amar’e Stoudemire has been cleared for contact, coach Mike Woodson told ESPN New York’s Ian Begley (by way of The Knicks Blog’s Adam Zagoria). STAT is hoping to play opening night on October 30th against the Bucks.
- But Stoudemire only participated in 5-on-5 half-court drills and avoided the full-court scrimmage, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News adds.
- It’s still unclear when Deron Williams will return to action one month after the Nets announced he’d sprained his right ankle, writes the New York Post’s Tim Bontemps.
- Bontemps adds that D-Will has ramped up his participation in practice the last two days, and Paul Pierce said he, “Had a chance to see [Williams] get his feet wet a little.”
- But neither coach Jason Kidd nor Williams would talk about whether Williams will appear in any of the Nets‘ final two preseason games, or what his status is for the season opener on October 30th in Cleveland.
- The New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy adds that Kidd’s been largely avoiding most of the questions about Williams’ injured ankle.
- Kidd confirmed to Bontemps that the Nets’ big offseason acquisitions Pierce and Kevin Garnett will not play in their return to Boston for a preseason game against the Celtics on Wednesday night.
- Pierce tells Newsday’s Roderick Boone he’s been seeing a lot of open looks during preseason, but he’s shot poorly and believes it’s the result of being so unused to all the uncontested opportunities.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Celts, Collins
Yesterday, commissioner David Stern boasted of the job that the NBA has done in developing the D-League while also taking a shot at the NCAA, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m very proud of the development league,” Stern said. “It’s working. That march is continuing. The drumbeats I hear about colleges not liking what they refer to one-and-done. We now have a league in the NBA Development League that will accept players that are 18 and will do a better job of educating them than the college programs in which they are…. Take that.”
Those are some big words from Stern. Let’s take a look at some of the other odds and ends from around the league:
- There are a handful of 2011 and 2012 draftees that are candidates to have the second or third year options on their rookie contracts declined for next year before the looming October 31 deadline, writes Mark Deeks of SB Nation. Among the more notable names on the list are Jan Vesely and Derrick Williams.
- According to his daughter, longtime Celtics coach Red Auerbach would not have given in and dealt Boston staples Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett this offseason, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. As Spears details, Auerbach’s intense loyalty was on display throughout his reign in Boston, allowing stars like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to walk off into the sunset wearing Celtics green. Current C’s general manager Danny Ainge admitted that the memory of Auerbach’s resolve did cross his mind before he sold off his stars.
- While his agent received several inquiries this offseason, Jason Collins remains a man without an NBA contract nearly six months after announcing he is a gay professional basketball player, writes Harvey Araton of the New York Times. Collins knows that his veteran status — and the contract demands that come with it — complicates his ability to land an NBA deal. What he doesn’t know, and wouldn’t comment on, is if any discriminatory forces are playing a role in his ongoing free agency. Either way, Collins will continue to explore an NBA deal before he considers playing overseas.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Western Rumors: Rivers, Jordan, McNeal, Blazers
It was an oft-repeated story this summer that Doc Rivers didn't want the Clippers to part with Eric Bledsoe as the team negotiated with the Celtics to bring Rivers to L.A. The Clippers wound up trading Bledsoe to the Suns in a separate deal, and now Rivers says he was worried that another Clipper would wind up in Boston. The coach wanted to bring Kevin Garnett with him to L.A., but not if it meant giving up DeAndre Jordan, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. There's more on Rivers and Jordan as we look at the latest from the Western Conference:
- Rivers sees Jordan as a defensive player of the year candidate, as Markazi notes in the same piece. "[Jordan] is just too young and too gifted to let walk out your door, bottom line," Rivers said. "He's a game changer defensively. He can single-handedly change a game with his defense. There's five guys, and that number maybe too high, that can do that single-handedly with their size and athleticism and he's one of them. When you have one of those guys, you want to keep them."
- Former Jazz shooting guard Jerel McNeal has signed with the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls in China, reports Kenya Brown of NiuBBall.com. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last month that McNeal had an agreement with a Chinese team, but it was unclear whether it was with the Golden Bulls or the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.
- The Trail Blazers have announced the hirings of Rob Werdann and Zendon Hamilton as assistant coaches for the Idaho Stampede. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com first reported the story (Twitter link). The Blazers control the basketball operations for the Stampede, who have a one-to-one affiliation with Portland.
Ainge On Pierce, KG, Rivers, Stevens
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge presided over a summer of drastic change for his team, trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets, arranging a deal that saw Doc Rivers head to the Clippers, and making the surprise hire of new coach Brad Stevens. Ainge spoke with Grantland's Bill Simmons about those moves and other subjects for a podcast, and NetsDaily provides a transcript that covers the Brooklyn-related items. We'll pass along some of the highlights from that, along with a few more of Ainge's quotes:
On how the trade with the Nets came to be:
"Like a lot of trades, it evolved from something completely different into a bigger deal. (It was) something that I really didn't think would happen, simply because it takes sort of a special, unique circumstance in order for a trade like that to go through, and the tax ramifications of Brooklyn are I would call unique in today's day and age in the NBA right now with the new CBA. But (the Nets were) a team that was really going for it, and money was not an object, and that was probably the reason why we got a better offer today than we would've even gotten two or three years ago."
On the influence agent Jeff Schwartz had on the Nets deal:
"I also think that Paul has a connection with having the same agent as Deron Williams and Jason Kidd, and I think there probably was some discussion going on there. I don't know that for sure, but my guess is that they had some conversation about it. I know that Paul was the one who talked KG into wanting to do the deal or letting go of his no-trade clause to make the deal happen and that took some convincing to do."
On the current value of Pierce and Garnett:
"I just think it came to the point where those guys as the best two players on a team aren't going to go very far. Those guys as a 3rd and 4th, or 4th and 5th, however you look at it, are pretty dang good still, and I think (Brooklyn) is going to have a terrific team next year."
On losing Rivers:
"I thought Doc would be our coach for a long time. When Doc signed his new contract (with the Celtics), we'd even talked about him being Jerry Sloan, and Gregg Popovich, and breaking Red Auerbach's all-time record as a Celtic coach. We knew that our guys were getting older, but we thought that this time might come, so I had anticipated Doc being around for a long time. I never had any idea that he would want out, but I understand it, and I understand the Clippers have much more to offer right now than we do on the court. I just thought that Doc wanted to continue to participate with me and (owners) Wyc Grousbeck and (Stephen Pagliuca) and (continue) to try to rebuild this thing as we had done before. At the same time, I do understand that that's not fun, and that's not fun (for) coaches."
On his pitch to Stevens and the new coach's lengthy contract with the C's:
"I think that a six-year commitment might have made a difference. I'm not sure. We never had a negotiation. His wife was his agent, and his wife wanted to understand the language in one paragraph that we explained to her, and that was basically the entire negotiation."
New York Notes: All-Star Game, Carmelo, Nets
- New York may be hosting two All-Star games between 2015 and 2018,
writes Fred Kerber
of the New York Post. Multiple sources have maintained that the 2015
All-Star game will be played at Madison Square Garden, while the Friday night
and Saturday events will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Although nothing has been finalized, Kerber says the league, along with the Knicks and Nets, are in negotiations about a proposal involving
a reversal of roles in 2017 or 2018, where Barclays takes on Sunday's main
event and MSG hosts the other festivities. - Carmelo Anthony offers his
thoughts on the balance of power shifting toward the Eastern Conference
and gives some insight on his offseason workouts (Jared
Zwerling of ESPN New York). - Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides an infographic of the Nets' depth at power forward, including Kevin Garnett, Reggie Evans, and Mirza Teletovic.
Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Nets, Sixers, Forbes
Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division..
- Nets head coach Jason Kidd says prized offseason acquisition Kevin Garnett probably won't play in any back-to-backs this season, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Kidd added that he's already talked that plan over with the 37-year-old superstar (link).
- New 76ers head coach Brett Brown has decided to let assistants Michael Curry, Aaron McKie, and Jeff Capel go, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm doing that for obvious reasons," said Brown. "I want to hire my own staff and have a clean start going in that direction. … I feel like it's important that I come in with my own staff and start fresh and try to rebuild." Curry was a candidate for the head coaching job after Collins resigned on April 18th.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if Gary Forbes could be this summer's Ronnie Brewer for the Knicks. New York will audition the 28-year-old veteran early next week.
New York Notes: Lopez, Johnson, Garnett
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says the Eastern Conference has returned to its most competitive since the 1990s (Twitter link). But whereas the Heat have LeBron James, the Bulls get back Derrick Rose and the Pacers have improved, neither New York Team – the Knicks, or the Nets – had the "backbone" for the playoffs last year.
The only difference between the two New York teams is the Nets had “surgery” this summer (Twitter link), adding Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce without giving up any of their core players – save an unproductive Gerald Wallace - in an offseason splurge that also saw them sign Andrei Kirilenko.
The Nets are coming off a tough season that ended with a game 7 loss at home to the Bulls in the first round. Bondy mentions, via Twitter, that some players were partying at the 40/40 club the same night of the loss. Garnett's presence changes the culture that would allow that sort of behavior following an elimination defeat.
Pierce and Garnett's former coach, Doc Rivers, agreed about KG changing the culture in Brooklyn when he spoke to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. But there are some players who might not gel with Garnett's brand of basketball intensity.
- Bondy mentions that Brook Lopez took the game 7 loss the hardest out of anyone else on the team (Twitter), which could mean a good partnership with Garnett returning to his more comfortable position at power forward and with Brook on the block.
- If Lopez's foot can stay healthy, he might have a real future, but Bondy is concerned about where Joe Johnson fits in with this new team led by the experienced former Celtics (Twitter).
- Lopez's toughness shouldn't be an issue now, and Bondy tweets that the seven-footer turned a corner last season; the only real question that remains is whether the foot is fully healed.
- The game 7 loss by the Nets was so brutal because it was at home and there were such high hopes for the Nets during their inaugural season at the Barclay's Center. Bondy singled out Johnson for the 40/40 Club visit over Twitter, saying that it was not the best night to go party. It's Johnson's demeanor that could clash with the win-at-all-costs mantra of Garnett.
Rivers On Pierce & Garnett’s Chances With Nets
The Celtics sent Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and GM Billy King a gift-wrapped invitation to the Eastern Conference elite by dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Before the mammoth trade went down, though, Doc Rivers was trying to get his two former players to join him with the Clippers.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe spoke with the new Clippers head coach to ask him about how his former players will do with the Nets and rookie head coach Jason Kidd. Pierce turns 36 in October and Garnett turned 37 in May, so many are wondering how much they have left for a possible Nets title run.
On whether he's given any thought to his Clippers playing the Nets:
"I hadn't thought about the Brooklyn part of it. That's the first time I've been asked that question. I don't know, that's going to be strange. I get very emotional whenever I talk about Kevin and Paul. To see them somewhere else, our business sometimes it's tough. I leave (Boston) and people get upset at me and I don't think there's a lot of difference in their case but it was obvious the Celtics decided to move on.
"So Paul and Kevin had to go and that's a tough part of the business. But that will be strange for me, I want them to do well. For a lot of reasons I want them to do well, they could knock off Miami. But it will be interesting. It will be a while different feeling."
On what sort of role Garnett and Pierce will play for the Nets next season:
"I think obviously Paul's younger and in tune to play more minutes than Kevin. But I think they're still at the top of their games. I think Paul is still one of those guys who can go off for big nights and still have big scoring nights. Kevin is a culture change. He won't play but 20 to 25 minutes a night and there'll probably be nights when he doesn't play but his presence there alone will absolutely change the culture of Brooklyn. There's no doubt about it. I think for some of the young guys, even some of the veteran stars, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, will learn and understand what a winner is and looks like and professionalism and being prepared.
"That's what I was most impressed with Kevin, how every game he prepared himself for games. That's what I told our young guys that I just wanted them to watch him prepare for games. It was why he was so consistent. I thought it was that important."
On how rookie coach Jason Kidd will dole out minutes for Garnett and how assistant coach, Lawrence Frank, will help:
"I think Jason [Kidd] will be fantastic in that because he probably when through that a little bit himself last year He'll be able to relate to that 100 percent. I think Lawrence Frank will be so important for Jason as well. You think about Lawrence, he worked with (the Celtics) staff, so he's worked with Kevin and he's knows Kevin as well as anybody. So I think that combination will be great for Kevin."
Odds & Ends: Nets, Celtics, Mavs, Barea
The Nets and Celtics had agreed last month to the framework of a trade that involved Paul Pierce, but not Kevin Garnett, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Then, Brooklyn GM Billy King asked Boston counterpart Danny Ainge whether Garnett would be available, too, and the deal began to morph into the nine-player swap that was finalized today. Here's more on an ever-changing NBA landscape:
- The Mavs lost a pair of guards to injury, but they aren't interested in a trade that would bring back J.J. Barea, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
- According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), it's
worth keeping an eye on Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas, who may be NBA-bound next
month. Amick adds in a second tweet that Abbas is holding off on signing with a
Chinese team due to optimism about potential NBA workouts in August. - The Rockets hold the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou after acquiring him as part of the Thomas Robinson trade, but the Bucks are among other NBA teams with interest in the 6'9" Greek small forward who "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
- With Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Omri Casspi all joining other teams, the Cavaliers renounced their rights to the trio today, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Cavs did the same with Luke Walton, who remains a free agent.
Celtics, Nets Officially Complete Trade
The Celtics and Nets have officially completed the trade that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, the teams announced today in a pair of press releases.
"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," said Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in Brooklyn's statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against."
The Nets receive Garnett, Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White in the deal, while the Celtics receive Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, and Keith Bogans (signed-and-traded), along with 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks' or Nets' selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks are unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.
The deal couldn't be formally finalized until today because Joseph wasn't eligible to be traded within three months of signing with the Celtics on April 12th.
For more details on the swap, check out our initial post on the agreement.