Western Notes: Dragic, Rondo, Suns, Fredette
Goran Dragic remarked around the time of his trade to Miami that he saw the Lakers as a “perfect fit,” but while the Lakers were initially likely to pursue him in free agency, they abandoned the idea when they became enamored with D’Angelo Russell and were optimistic about signing a big man, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Dragic, despite his comment about the Lakers, seemed likely to re-sign with Miami in the months prior to his free agency, and he re-upped with the Heat in July. See more from around the Western Conference:
- An executive who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI.com raised a hypothetical scenario in which the Timberwolves trade Ricky Rubio in the offseason and sign Rajon Rondo, who’s on a one-year contract with the Kings. Kevin Garnett has a strong relationship with Rondo, his former Celtics teammate, and Garnett has a ton of pull with Minnesota, Mannix points out.
- Trade acquisition Jon Leuer was supposed to be behind offseason signee Mirza Teletovic on the Suns depth chart, but instead Leuer is averaging more than twice as many minutes thanks in part to his strong shooting so far, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic in a piece that examines the Phoenix bench. Leuer and Teletovic are both poised to hit free agency next summer.
- Jimmer Fredette‘s non-guaranteed deal with the Pelicans is for one year at the prorated minimum salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Reed, Okafor
The Nets‘ high-profile acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the Celtics prior to the 2013/14 season never worked out as planned for Brooklyn, and the team is trying to move on and rebuild as best it can despite dealing away multiple future draft picks for the two aging veterans, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “We all made the decision to go for it,” GM Billy King said. “We made a decision, and at that point we felt it was the best decision. And now we’re headed in a different direction. I don’t think you can sit there and say, ‘What if?’ You make a decision and you move on. That’s how we did it. You make the decision, and then you adjust and you move on as you have to.”
“If we hadn’t had injuries, could we have won more? Possibly,” King continued. “And then the picks [that went to the Celtics] . . . you know, I look at it like, there’s nothing that can be done about them. So now we’re focusing on trying to gain younger assets, as we did this year. And we’ll keep doing that. It’s something similar to what I did in Philadelphia, where we gave up a lot of picks early to get to The Finals. Then after that we started retooling and drafting second-round picks like Kyle Korver. You’ve just got to take what you have and work with it.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets power forward Willie Reed has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb and he’ll undergo surgery on Friday, the team announced. A timetable for his return will be established following the procedure, according to the release. Reed is one of seven Brooklyn players without a fully guaranteed deal, but the Nets would have to pay him until he’s healthy, even if they waive him.
- The Sixers don’t expect rookie center Jahlil Okafor to be at full strength when the regular season begins, and they intend to take it slow with his minutes as he works his way back into shape from being sidelined with a sore right knee, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He’s been tremendously set back now,” coach Brett Brown said. “He was going to be fine, going through [training camp at] Stockton [University].” When asked about Okafor’s ideal playing weight, Brown responded by saying, “There are a few goals that we have. But like a little bit with Joel [Embiid], we will probably keep them in house. Fair question, but keep them in house.“
- Rookie shooting guard R.J. Hunter has impressed the Celtics‘ coaching staff with his all-around game, and he is the likeliest of Boston’s three rookies to see significant playing time this season, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays. “I think it’s pretty obvious, just watching him, he really has a feel,” coach Brad Stevens said of Hunter. “It just comes pretty natural — little passes, simple plays, being able to put the ball on the money to other people, understanding spacing, understanding where his opportunities are going to come. And he’s got a pretty good feel for the game.“
Northwest Notes: Faried, Kaman, Snyder
Kenneth Faried acknowledged that the Nuggets trade of Ty Lawson to the Rockets is just part of the business of basketball, but he was still stung by it due to his close friendship with the point guard, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. When asked about the trade, Faried said, “Basketball. Nature of the beast. I’m not part of the business side I’m part of the playing side. I just want to get up-and-down and play the game. It hurt me because that was my best friend but it’s the nature of the beast. You’ve got to live with it.”
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- Mason Plumlee says he has learned a lot from veteran big man Chris Kaman in the short time that they have been teammates with the Trail Blazers, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. “The guys who are here 10-plus years in the NBA are here because they help the young guys,” Plumlee said of Kaman. “Here’s very good, he’s helpful, he knows what coach [Terry] Stotts wants so he’s been great.” Plumlee was acquired by Portland back in June.
- Jazz coach Quin Snyder enters his second season with the team a bit more relaxed than his he was during his rookie campaign, and he aims to try and be less intense with his players this season, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes. “The course of the season and our team and how we play will dictate that as much as anything,” Snyder said, obviously making no hard promises regarding his future demeanor.
- One of the problems facing the Timberwolves as they enter the preseason is that most of their big men are power forwards who will be tasked with manning the center position, Marcus R. Fuller of The Pioneer Press writes. Kevin Garnett, a power forward by trade, won’t be thrilled if he has to spend prolonged time in the pivot, Fuller adds. “I still hate the center position,” Garnett said. “I’m 235, 240 [pounds]. Guys who play the center … DeAndre Jordan is 275, 280. That’s outweighing me by 40 pounds. But what I don’t make up in weight, I make up in heart and [expletive].”As for interim coach Sam Mitchell‘s plan for the rotation at the five spot, he said, “I’ve got an idea in my mind. But until we get out on the floor and actually watch them play a little bit, then we’ll start to formulate those opinions.”
Northwest Notes: Lawson, Garnett, Ingles
Ty Lawson was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI, his second DUI-related arrest in six months, report Jesse Paul and Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Lawson’s name has come up frequently in trade chatter since before the February deadline, and the teams with interest were waiting for Denver to reduce its price for the point guard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, adding that today’s news devastates Lawson’s trade value. The Kings were reportedly one of those teams eyeing him and spoke with the Nuggets before the draft, but his off-court issues were a major reason why Sacramento wasn’t willing to give up the No. 6 pick in exchange for him, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
Here’s the latest out of the Northwest Division:
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey said that the team’s roster is relatively set for the 2015/16 season, but the team could look to use its available cap space at the trade deadline to add a player who could help the team, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays (Twitter links).
- Joe Ingles‘ base salary with the Jazz on his new contract is $4.1MM but can he increase that payout to $4.4MM via $150K per season worth of performance-based incentives that are included in his deal, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links). This makes Ingles’ cap number for the 2015/16 season $2.15MM, as the NBA deems $100k worth of the incentives likely to be attained, and his 2016/17 cap number will range from $2.05-$2.20MM, Pincus adds.
- Kevin Garnett‘s two-year deal with the Timberwolves will pay him $8.5MM for the 2015/16 campaign and $8MM in 2016/17, Pincus tweets.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Wolves Notes: Garnett, Rudez, Bjelica
Even at age 39, Kevin Garnett is looking toward the future, writes Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. The veteran forward signed a two-year, $16.5MM with the Wolves this week, but he may be more valuable as a mentor than as a player. He is expected to help mold No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns, who joins a talented young core that includes Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng, Tyus Jones, Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. “I’m excited to be part of this process for the future,” Garnett said. “I can’t wait to build something special with this group of guys. Hopefully, I can help, teach, and also continue to grow and learn from the young guys. It should be great. I’m looking forward to it all. The process to greatness starts now!”
There’s more out of Minnesota this afternoon:
- Minnesota coach/executive Flip Saunders said he expects Garnett to be the team’s starting power forward and play in some back-to-back games, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune. Garnett played just five games for the Wolves after being acquired from the Nets in a February deal.
- The Wolves have no immediate plans to part ways with Damjan Rudez, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- Additionally, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets Saunders said he likes Rudez’s shooting range and that Rudez will be brought to camp to compete for playing time.
- Nemanja Bjelica is expected to sign his deal with the Wolves soon, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).
Will Joseph contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Hummel, Garnett
Damian Lillard said there was no way to prevent LaMarcus Aldridge from bolting the Trail Blazers for the Spurs, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports. Lillard told Spears that Aldridge wanted a change and was seeking a franchise that was closer to winning a championship. Lillard added that Aldridge had no issues with him. “We basically exchanged texts about how much admiration we have for each other,” Lillard told Spears. “That change wasn’t about me. I did express that I wanted him to be back. I told him I respected his decision. I respected that he told me before the news broke and I saw it on TV.”
In other news around the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers and Nuggets are among the teams interested in signing Robbie Hummel, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets. The Kings and Cavaliers are also in the mix, Wolfson adds, but the two Northwest teams are the ones with the greater interest. Hummel became an unrestricted free agent when the Timberwolves pulled their $1.147MM qualifying offer.
- Kevin Garnett has a full no-trade clause in his new contract, thanks to his service time during his first stint with the Timberwolves, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Players can only get full no-trades in a new contract, not extensions, and must have at least eight years service time and four with the same team, Stein adds in a separate tweet. Garnett agreed to a two-year, $16.5MM deal.
- The Timberwolves should receive a trade exception for all of Chase Budinger‘s $5MM salary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Minnesota agreed to deal Budinger to the Pacers on Saturday.
- The Nuggets didn’t waive Randy Foye by the end of Saturday, so his non-guaranteed salary of $3.135MM is now fully guaranteed (hat tip to former Nets executive Bobby Marks; Twitter link).
Timberwolves Re-Sign Kevin Garnett
FRIDAY, 5:57pm: The signing is official, the Wolves announced.
5:03pm: Wolfson pegs the value of the deal at $16.5MM. Garnett, an Andy Miller client, negotiated it himself, Wolfson adds (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 4:43pm: Garnett’s deal is for two years and $16MM, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweets, confirming Zgoda’s estimate.
10:00am: It is indeed a two-year deal for Garnett, Wolfson tweets. It contains no options or non-guaranteed money, Wolfson adds (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 8:28am: The Timberwolves and Kevin Garnett have reached a deal, as long expected, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). The numbers aren’t yet clear, but the team had reportedly planned to make him a two-year offer, and Garnett was likewise expected to take it. The 39-year-old will be coming back for his record-tying 21st season this year.
“I’m incredibly excited and rejuvenated to be a part of this talented, committed team,” Garnett said, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).
Injuries limited Garnett to just five games after the midseason trade that brought him back to Minnesota, the team that had originally drafted him, but coach/executive Flip Saunders has no regrets based on the veteran’s locker room presence for the young Timberwolves. He’ll rejoin a team that’s set to feature at least three rookies in No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns, No. 24 pick Tyus Jones, and draft-and-stash prospect Nemanja Bjelica, who reportedly agreed to a deal Monday.
Garnett made $12MM last season, though his declining production would suggest a pay cut is in order. Minnesota has his Bird Rights and thus the ability to pay him whatever is necessary, though Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune has estimated a deal would be worth about $8MM a year. That would fall roughly in line with what fellow venerable power forward Dirk Nowitzki agreed to take from the Mavericks last year, when he signed a three-year deal worth about $8.3MM a season.
Western Notes: Cuban, Stoudemire, Aldridge
The NBA has fined Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban $25k for publicly confirming the team’s pending free-agent deals with DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. Under league rules teams and players are allowed to strike verbal agreements on new contracts during July’s moratorium period, but team officials are not allowed to openly discuss those deals until July 9th, when the moratorium concludes, Stein adds. Cuban has accumulated over $2MM in league fines since becoming the Mavs’ owner back in 2000.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire is talking with the Clippers regarding a deal, but Los Angeles’ difficult salary cap situation is complicating matters, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times relays (on Twitter). The Clippers are also floating the idea of signing free agent center Cole Aldrich, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets.
- Ed Pinckney will serve as the lead assistant on coach Michael Malone‘s staff with the Nuggets, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun tweets.
- LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t officially inform the Trail Blazers that he was leaving Portland until last Friday, though the team likely knew the forward wouldn’t be returning, Jason Quick of The Oregonian notes (via Twitter). The big man agreed to a four-year, and approximately $80MM deal with the Spurs.
- Veteran Kevin Garnett may end up transitioning into a front office position during the second season of his new deal with the Wolves if he isn’t healthy enough to play in 2016/17, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes (on Twitter). KG agreed to a two-year pact with the team earlier today.
- Despite all of the roster additions the Mavericks have made this offseason, the team still may have lost ground to the other teams in the West who have also improved, especially the Spurs, who landed Aldridge, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. But even if the team does regress in 2015/16, the additions of DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews give the franchise two important building blocks for the future, Sefko adds.
Wolves Notes: Hummel, Garnett, Jones
The Wolves have extended a qualifying offer to Robbie Hummel worth slightly less than $1.15MM, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Flip Saunders previously indicated he would like to bring back the forward. Hummel scored 4.4 points in 16.5 minutes per game while shooting 45.9% from the field this season.
Here’s more from Minnesota:
- It has yet to be announced, but Kevin Garnett will “definitely” re-sign with the Wolves, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reports. Walters also adds that Saunders will “definitely” return as the coach, which confirms a previous report. Garnett only played five games for Minnesota after being traded for Thaddeus Young. The 39-year-old will get a chance to mentor the team’s young talent, including Karl-Anthony Towns, which is something the No. 1 overall pick is looking forward to.
- If the Wolves weren’t able to strike a deal with the Cavs for Tyus Jones, the team would have looked to add a point guard after July 1st, Walters writes in the same piece. “Then we would have had to go and sign somebody in free agency,” Saunders said.
- Had the draft day trade not occurred, the Grizzlies would have chosen the Duke product with the No. 25 pick, sources tell Walters.
Northwest Notes: Booker, Lyles, Wolves, Jones
The Jazz have a July 15th deadline for a decision on the second year of Trevor Booker‘s contract, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Booker is due to make nearly $4.8MM next season if Utah retains him, but only $250K of that is guaranteed. Genessy calls the decision a “no-brainer,” saying the Jazz would be wise to avoid the risks of free agency. (Twitter link). He also tweeted about Utah’s decision to extend a qualifying offer to Joe Ingles, noting that he won the Jazz over with his play in the second part of the season, especially by shooting 42.7% from three-point range.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- Trey Lyles impressed the Jazz in workouts with his ability in the open floor, Genessy writes. Coach Quinn Snyder said Lyles caught the team’s attention with the way he was able to rebound the ball on the defensive end, then push it up court and create opportunities for teammates. “We’ve alluded to the concept of being unselfish,” said GM Dennis Lindsey. “When I saw him play on tape and then here, that resonated with me.” The GM noted that Lyles posted the highest score on an advanced balance test of 104 players who participated in workouts.
- The Wolves aren’t expected to be major players in free agency, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. The team is expected to try to re-sign veteran forward Kevin Garnett and reach a deal with European Nemanja Bjelica, but otherwise won’t be very active. “I’m actually, right now at this point, pretty comfortable,” said Minnesota coach/executive Flip Saunders. Garnett made $12MM last season, but Zgoda estimates his new salary will be around $8MM, and possibly part of a two-year deal that includes an opt-out after the first season. Saunders indicated he would also like to bring back restricted free agent Robbie Hummel, who made $880K last year.
- The Wolves had been looking for a veteran point guard before the draft, Zgoda writes in the same story, but those plans changed when they were able to acquire Tyus Jones from the Cavaliers on draft night. Minnesota may try to reach a cost-effective deal to keep fourth guard Lorenzo Brown, but Saunders said he is “pretty comfortable” with Jones and Zach LaVine backing up Ricky Rubio.