Wojnarowski On LeBron, Cavs, Brown, Aldridge
Now that the Cavaliers have made it official, announcing that Mike Brown has returned as the team's head coach, one looming question is what effect the hire will have on Cleveland's potential pursuit of LeBron James in the summer of 2014. LeBron told the Associated Press (link via Cleveland.com) that he's "very happy" for Brown, adding that he's a "really good coach," but would James be interested in playing for his former coach again? Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tackles that subject in his latest column, so let's round up the highlights….
- One former Cavs staffer told Wojnarowski that "the way Mike had to bend for LeBron weakened him as a leader. They'd be crazy to put him through that again. It's pointless."
- One league source tells Wojnarowski "there are still some scars" when it comes to Brown and the Cavs, primarily centered on the coach's relationship with Dan Gilbert, who fired him in 2010.
- Agent Rich Paul has created anticipation for LeBron's possible return to the Cavs in 2014, but according to Wojnarowski, "the idea of returning as the conquering hero is probably much more romantic than reality." Wojnarowski suggests that it's "unfathomable" that James would trade Miami, Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley for a return to Cleveland.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Cavs have privately pitched the idea of trading young players and draft picks to the Trail Blazers for LaMarcus Aldridge.
- Such a deal with Portland is unlikely to ever happen, says Wojnarowski, since the Cavs value their young players like Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters more than other teams around the league do.
Pat Riley On Big Three, Andersen, Spoelstra
Heat president Pat Riley held court with the media today for the first time since July, and offered insight on how the 66-win Heat were built, as well as a few hints about his plan to keep the defending champs together. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com all provide detail. We'll round it up here:
- Riley suggested the team may need a new, high-dollar local television contract to absorb the tax hit necessary to keep LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together beyond 2014, when they can all opt out and become free agents. A report last summer suggested the team was in talks with Fox Sports about a deal that would pay them $80MM-$100MM per season, but both the team and Fox denied it.
- Riley thinks keeping the team together is "doable" and said the front office has already begun to craft its plan for doing so, but said it's ultimately up to Micky Arison to decide how much he wants to shell out.
- Coach Erik Spoelstra was the driving force behind the team's midseason acquisition of Chris Andersen. "If I got another text from (Spoelstra) about getting Chris Andersen, I was going to put my hands around his neck," Riley quipped.
- Riley declined comment on Spoelstra's contract, which runs out after next season.
- The team believes Wade can handle point guard duties in case Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole goes down, and that's why they didn't seek more depth at the position this season.
- It doesn't seem as though the Heat will fully embrace analytics anytime soon, as Riley said proponents of advance metrics "make me squeamy a little bit," Haberstroh tweets.
Odds & Ends: James, Clark, Sixers, Collison
When Heat general manager Pat Riley spoke out against Celtics general manager Danny Ainge last week, it was a calculated move on his part to keep LeBron James around after 2014, writes the Daily News' Mitch Lawrence.
- Mavericks point guard Darren Collison wants to be the team's starter, writes Dallas Star-Telegram reporter Dwain Price.
- InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina writes that Lakers forward Earl Clark has rediscovered his role with the team with some great play recently.
- On Philly.com, the Sixers are gearing up for a busy offseason.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Riley, LeBron, Korver, Kaman
Last night, Heat president Pat Riley released an official statement to the press that wasn't fit to print regarding Celtics president Danny Ainge. Ainge said that it was "almost embarrassing" that LeBron James complained about the hard fouls he received during the club's loss to the Bulls, and Riley fired back in defense of his star. "[Ainge] needs to shut the [expletive] up and manage his own team. He was the biggest whiner when he was playing, and I know that because I coached against him," said Riley, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Was there more to that comment than meets the eye? Here's more on that and other notes out of the Southeast..
- The aim of Riley's comment was to show his loyalty to James, who can become a free agent in the summer of 2014, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. While the image-conscious James was reluctant to attach himself to Riley's profane language, he was clearly appreciative of the gesture. "It was big-time to see that," James said after the Heat's win over New Orleans.
- The Hawks' Kyle Korver will be a free agent in demand, writes Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld. The veteran believes that he has a good four or five years left and wants to spend them with a winning team.
- Chris Kaman could have been a free agent target for the Heat this summer, but it won't happen after recent comments made in a radio interview, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. "I’m not much of a Dwyane Wade fan, but I’m a [James] fan..I just never really got along with (Dwyane Wade). I guess I just don’t like his style or whatever. I didn’t like the year the Mavs lost when he got all the foul calls. I didn’t like that," Kaman told 104.1 FM The Ticket.
Odds & Ends: LeBron/Cavs, Wafer, Harrington
Without leading scorers Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters yesterday, the Cavaliers had the surging Heat against the ropes in Cleveland through three quarters, leading by nine before ultimately losing in a heartbreaker. The last few years have represented some trying times for Cavs fans, although with the rise of Irving as a young potential superstar, Dion Waiters showing flashes as a promising scorer, and Tristan Thompson continuing to improve, the horizon is beginning to look bright in Cleveland. A promising young core on a team with cap space could only be a selling point toward a possible homecoming for LeBron James in 2014, although ESPN's Marc Stein (Twitter link) believes that the Akron native and Dwyane Wade are too close for LeBron to just "bolt Miami." Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the NBA:
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld highlights that several clubs have considered signing Von Wafer, particularly teams looking to bolster their rosters before the playoffs start. The former second-round pick had recently returned from a stint in China and last played in the NBA during the 2011/12 season. In the same piece, Kennedy identifies players who have helped their free agency stock with their strong play this year.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Al Harrington could decide to sit out the rest of the season for the Magic for the sake of their young players benefiting from major playing time. The 33-year-old forward, who overcame a staph infection after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, insists that his knees are fine now and that he will focus on preparing them for next year. Robbins adds that although Harrington is due about $14.7MM over the next two seasons, those years are partially guaranteed and could be bought out for nearly half that number this summer.
- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro discusses his job status with Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times. Now in his third season in LA and nearing the end of his contract, Dwyre writes that Chris Paul's contract status, the level of preference for Del Negro, and the team's performance in the playoffs are all substantial factors that are in play with regard to the coach's future with the team.
- Pistons coach Lawrence Frank tells David Mayo of MLive.com that, considering their record this year, none of the players – as well as the coaches – should feel safe about retaining their role for next season.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Raja Bell, Wall, Draft
Here are a few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com takes an extensive look at the decision that will face LeBron James, along with the teams that hope to sign him, in the summer of 2014. While Windhorst suggests that the Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers, and Bulls are among the clubs that could be in the mix for LeBron in '14, he stresses that the former MVP himself has yet to make any decisions about whether he'll even opt out of his contract with Miami.
- If the Cavs hope to recruit James or any other major free agent in the summer of 2014, they'll need to put a more competitive product on the court in 2013/14, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- Despite not being playoff-eligible, Raja Bell has continued to search for an NBA job, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). However, nothing has developed, and Bell appears likely to sit out the entire season.
- John Wall continues to tell reporters that he feels he's worthy of a maximum contract, with Michael Lee of the Washington Post the latest scribe to get a quote from Wall on the subject. The Wizards point guard tells Lee he'd be disappointed if he can't work something out with the team before the 2013/14 season gets underway.
- When we asked last night whether Wall deserves a max deal, the response was an overwhelming no. Lee's readers at the Washington Post agree, as their responses indicate.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford answers plenty of draft questions in his latest chat, noting that the situation at Kentucky will be very interesting to watch. Top recruit Julius Randle announced today that he'll become a Wildcat, and three current freshman suggested yesterday that they're leaning toward returning to Kentucky for their sophomore years.
- The NBA has hired former Nuggets and Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe as its vice president of basketball operations, the league announced today. Vandeweghe will report to executive VP of basketball ops Stu Jackson.
Free Agency Links: Millsap, Smith, Bynum, West, Oden
With the trade deadline behind us, some teams are already looking toward this summer's free agent class. Here is a roundup of the latest buzz on that front:
- Acknowledging that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard aren't likely to leave their respective Los Angeles teams, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld looks at a list of free agents who are more obtainable by other teams, including Atlanta's Josh Smith and Utah's Paul Millsap.
- Ben Golliver of SI.com runs down a list of free agents whose stock has risen or fallen this season. He points to Andrew Bynum as someone who has hurt his chances at a big payday, and Smith and David West as likely candidates for a big payday.
- Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer reports that Greg Oden, who is gearing up for a second attempt at an NBA career, recently attended a Cavaliers game and had positive impressions of the organization.
- Valade also profiles Rich Paul, a former member of LeBron James' marketing team who is finding success running his own sports agency.
Brigham On Future Contenders
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld has a new column examining which teams have a chance to be title contenders five seasons from now, taking into account possible moves in free agency and the ages of the teams' core players.
- Brigham believes the Thunder still have the brightest future, given that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka will all be under 30 in five seasons.
- LeBron James' free agency will play a major role in determining the next title contender, Brigham writes. The health and effectiveness of Dwyane Wade will determine whether James stays with the Heat, but the Cavaliers and Lakers are also possible destinations.
- On that note, Brigham writes that, although Kyrie Irving is blossoming into a superstar, the Cavs will not be a contender unless James signs in Cleveland.
- The Bulls will still be contenders if Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah stay healthy, Brigham writes. He also notes that Nikola Mirotic will have come over to the NBA by then.
- The trade for Thomas Robinson added another young piece to the James Harden/Jeremy Lin core the Rockets have built, Brigham writes. Additionally, the team is still well under the cap and can add another high-level player via free agency.
- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge give the Blazers a solid core to build around, writes Brigham.
- Brigham writes that there will be uncertainty every year for the next five as to whether Chris Paul will still be with the Clippers.
- Even if Stephen Curry's ankles don't hold up, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes give the Warriors a good young core, Brigham says.
- Brigham writes that the Pacers have excellent cornerstone players in Roy Hibbert and Paul George.
Central Notes: Jennings, LeBron, Pistons, Bulls
No Central Division players will crack the Eastern Conference's starting lineup this Sunday in Houston, but the division is well-represented on the East's bench, with Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving all expected to see action in the All-Star Game. Here's the latest out of the Central:
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported earlier this week that Brandon Jennings turned down a four-year, $40MM extension offer from the Bucks last offseason, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets that no such offer was ever made by the team.
- LeBron James brushed off questions about returning to the Cavaliers when he's eligible for free agency in 2014, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes (on Sulia).
- Writing for the Detroit Free Press, Patrick Hayes ranks the Pistons free-agents-to-be from least likely to most likely to return to Detroit next season.
- In a mailbag, David Mayo of MLive.com discusses the future of Rodney Stuckey with the Pistons.
- Another mailbag comes courtesy of Sam Smith of Bulls.com, who fields Bulls-related questions on Derrick Rose's health and trade possibilities.
Odds & Ends: Andersen, Splitter, Celtics, Pacers
Of the 10 NBA teams in action tonight, eight are currently in position to make the playoffs, while one of the remaining two is a shorthanded Lakers squad trying to claw its way back to .500. As we look forward to what should be an entertaining evening slate, let's round up some miscellaneous updates from around the Association….
- As Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida documents, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is talking as if he expects Chris Andersen to remain with the team for the rest of the season. If Miami does guarantee Andersen's contract, it will be the 15th guaranteed deal on the roster, meaning the Heat wouldn't have an open spot for someone like Greg Oden later in the season.
- Tiago Splitter is eligible for restricted free agency this summer and acknowledges to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that he can't help but think about his future. "I’m not thinking about it during the games, of course," Splitter said. "But it’s difficult not to think about it other times. It’s in your head." Splitter's preference is to re-sign with the Spurs, though he'll likely be in line for a decent raise.
- Celtics coach Doc Rivers referred to recent trade rumors involving his players as "silly," suggesting that they're media-driven rather than substantial. Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com has the details.
- Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star implores the Pacers to make a deal before the February 21st deadline if they want to be legit contenders in the Eastern Conference.
- In light of LeBron James' recent comments suggesting that his contract doesn't reflect his true value, ESPN.com's Henry Abbott and Brian Windhorst (video link) discuss the value of NBA superstars like LeBron.
- In a mailbag, Ian Thomsen of SI.com identifies 12 teams he thinks could be "buyers" as the trade deadline approaches.