Latest On Notable Veteran Free Agents
Even with about 550 players currently under contract with NBA teams, there are still a number of interesting names remaining on our list of 2013/14 free agents. That list will only grow in the next several weeks, as teams release camp invitees in an effort to reduce their roster counts to the regular-season maximum of 15. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see some of the players presently available to land on NBA teams once the season gets underway.
Injuries are already starting to pile up for some teams, and when a club needs to add an extra body or two during the season, a veteran addition is more likely than a rookie signing. Even if a team would rather take a look at a few young players during camp, a known commodity has more value when that same team needs immediate help during the season.
So which players could we see join teams at some point after training camp ends? Here are a few names to keep in mind, along with the latest rumors and updates we've heard about them:
Rodrigue Beaubois
Previous team: Mavericks
Latest updates: The Heat were reportedly hoping to bring Beaubois in for an "audition," but a wrist injury derailed those plans. If and when he gets healthy, Beaubois could draw renewed interest, though perhaps a lottery team would be more likely to take a flier than a contender.
Jason Collins
Previous team: Wizards
Latest updates: ESPN.com's Marc Stein recently explored Collins' free agency, identifying the Nets, Wizards, and Clippers as potential fits for the big man. Coach Mike Woodson also confirmed that the Knicks kicked the tires on Collins before deciding to go younger.
Chris Duhon
Previous team: Lakers
Latest updates: The Knicks and Sixers were said to be considering Duhon back in August, and we heard again about Philadelphia's interest last month. The team went younger and cheaper shortly thereafter though, signing Darius Morris.
Richard Hamilton
Previous team: Bulls
Latest updates: A report a month ago indicated that the Rockets and Knicks could have interest, but both clubs have several other options for now. Perhaps New York could re-emerge as a viable option if J.R. Smith has lingering issues related to his offseason knee surgery.
Josh Howard
Previous team: Timberwolves
Latest updates: While some of the players on this list may be waiting out the market in the hopes that teams will get more desperate when rosters are reduced to 15 players and injuries start to add up, Howard was said to be in the market for a camp invite. That doesn't seem to bode well for his chances of catching on with an NBA team this season, though there's still plenty of time.
Stephen Jackson
Previous team: Spurs
Latest updates: Jackson was linked to the Rockets and Heat back in August, but both of those teams have several other three-point shooters in the mix. With Jackson's production in decline, clubs may be reluctant to roll the dice on the 35-year-old and his strong personality.
Mickael Pietrus
Previous team: Raptors
Latest updates: Although Pietrus received a camp invite from the Spurs, he continues to seek a guaranteed deal, as he did a year ago. It worked out for him last fall, when he signed a guaranteed contract with the Raptors several weeks into the season, but he didn't play well and didn't stay healthy in Toronto. We'll see if his patient approach to free agency pays off again this time around.
Other notable veterans on the market: Daequan Cook, Drew Gooden, Lamar Odom, Sasha Pavlovic, Tyrus Thomas, Jamaal Tinsley, Luke Walton, Hakim Warrick, Chris Wilcox
Free Agent Notes: Wiz, Byars, Powell
Despite news that Emeka Okafor is out indefinitely with a herniated disc and Chris Singleton will undergo surgery today, the Wizards cannot guarantee money to any free agents to replace them (without letting go of someone else on a guaranteed contract by opening night), tweets NBA.com's David Aldridge. Washington already has 15 guaranteed deals on their roster, including Okafor and Singleton, but as Aldridge points out (via Twitter), a trade is always possible. CSN Washington's J. Michael confirms Aldridge's report, via Twitter, adding that the Wizards are likely to bring two or three other players to camp in addition to the 15.
Let's take a look at some other free agent notes from around the league:
- In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Lang Greene examines a number of unsigned NBA veterans who are still looking for work, including Richard Hamilton, Tyrus Thomas, and Stephen Jackson.
- Memphis native and former Spur Derrick Byars is set to work out for the Grizzlies this week, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Spears adds that the Knicks also have some interest.
- Josh Powell has worked out with New Orleans for a second time, tweets Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. The Pelicans, who expect to add more players to their camp roster, auditioned Powell last month.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Richard Hamilton
The Bulls were a taxpaying team for the first time in 2012/13, and appear set to pay an even bigger bill in '13/14. However, that doesn't mean the club isn't still trying to cut costs where it can. Like the Lakers with Metta World Peace and the Heat with Mike Miller, the Bulls released a rotation player this summer to reduce team salary, parting ways with Richard Hamilton.
Unlike World Peace and Miller, Hamilton wasn't amnestied, but was on a partially guaranteed contract, so Chicago will only have to pay him $1MM of his $5MM salary. That salary may also be stretched over three years, with Hamilton receiving about $333K in each of the next three seasons. The reduction in his 2013/14 salary likely means the veteran guard will be a little more motivated to secure a new contract — in fact, we heard back in July that Hamilton isn't considering retirement, and is hoping for a bounce-back season in the right situation.
Hamilton, who signed a three-year, $15MM deal with Chicago after the 2011 lockout ended, had a disappointing stint with the Bulls, struggling with injuries and seeing his production slide when he was on the court. In 78 contests over two seasons with the club, the 35-year-old averaged 10.5 PPG and had a shooting line of .438/.337/.833, all down from his career rates.
Still, while those may have been underwhelming numbers for a player earning mid-level money, they're still solid enough to earn him a spot on an NBA bench. The former seventh overall pick was expected to be a starter in Chicago, coming off the bench just five times in his 78 games with the team. But virtually every NBA team has an idea of what its starting lineup will be at this point in the offseason, so if Hamilton catches on with a club now, he'd almost certainly be looking at a role as an eighth or ninth man, at best.
In that role, and at a discount price – perhaps the veteran minimum – Hamilton should still be an effective roster piece, providing a scoring punch for a team's second unit. Even in his last two years in Chicago, Hamilton averaged about 23 minutes in the games he played, so a reduction in his playing time to 15-20 MPG could help him stay fresher and healthier, warding off potential injuries.
We heard earlier this week that the Rockets and Knicks may have some interest in Hamilton, and it's not hard to imagine him fitting in on a few other contenders as well. The Thunder, for instance, appear likely to cut DeAndre Liggins, and could view Hamilton as a poor man's Kevin Martin. If OKC were to sign him to a one-year minimum-salary deal, the team would only be on the hook for about $884K of his $1.4MM salary.
Hamilton says he isn't ready to retire, and his numbers with the Bulls, while not quite as solid as the team may have hoped, suggest he's still got something in the tank. We're only about a month away from the start of the NBA preseason, so there's no guarantee the UConn product will be in camp with a club by then, but I'd be pretty shocked if he doesn't play NBA minutes at some point during the 2013/14 season.
Southwest Rumors: McGrady, Hamilton, Covington
- Richard Hamilton is probably looking at no better than the minimum salary, but the Rockets, as well as the Knicks, are among teams that may have interest in the former Bull, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
- Undrafted small forward Robert Covington scored a full guarantee on the first year of his three-year deal with the Rockets, per Mark Deeks of ShamSports, and the former Tennessee State Tiger tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com about what set him apart in summer league, his relationship with James Harden, and more.
- HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis names ex-Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins first on his list former NBA coaches likely to receive an offer the next time an opening emerges. Hollins beat out reigning Coach of the Year George Karl, who'd prefer to take a job with a Western Conference contender.
Odds & Ends: Free Agents, PEDs, Diawara
A few random notes from around the league on this Saturday afternoon.
- Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy let off several tweets detailing notable free agents still up for grabs on the open market. Lamar Odom, Richard Hamilton, Sebastian Telfair, and Leandro Barbosa are included on the list.
- The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi has a column on PED use in the NBA, and why the league doesn't take swifter action against possible users.
- Yakhouba Diawara, a four-year NBA veteran who last appeared with the Heat in 2010, recently worked out for Doc Rivers, and he has an audition set for next week with Miami, according to Alexandre Lacoste of Catch-and-Shoot.com
Richard Hamilton Not Ready To Retire
Sources close to Richard Hamilton maintain the 35-year-old shooting guard isn't retiring yet, reports Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. The 14-year veteran free agent would like to sign with an Eastern Conference team that has legitimate playoff hopes for the coming season, Greene adds.
The Bulls waived Hamilton last week on the day his $5MM contract for 2013/14 was set to become fully guaranteed. The move was no surprise after a disappointing two-year stint with Chicago, during which Hamilton was beset with injuries. He appeared in only four of the team's 12 playoff games this spring. Hamilton believes his poor health and lack of stylistic fit with the Bulls system were the reasons for his subpar performance, and he feels like he can make a stronger contribution if he finds the right destination, according to Greene.
The Creative Artists Agency client averaged 10.5 points per game in his time with the Bulls, the lowest output in any two-year stretch of his career. His 10.6 PER last season was also a new low for him. He'll probably have to settle for the minimum salary or a contract worth just slightly more.
Bulls Release Richard Hamilton
JULY 10TH: The Bulls have waived Hamilton, tweets Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
JULY 2ND: With Richard Hamilton's full salary for 2013/14 set to become guaranteed if he's not waived on or before July 10th, the Bulls will indeed release him before that happens, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. By cutting Hamilton, the Bulls will save $4MM, as only $1MM of his $5MM salary is guaranteed.
The move comes as no surprise, as the Bulls have shopped Hamilton multiple times in the past in the hopes of shedding his contract. With Chicago projected to be in luxury-tax territory next season, getting out from under $4MM of Hamilton's salary will actually save the Bulls significantly more than that in tax payments.
Mike Dunleavy figures to get not only some of the money the Bulls will save by cutting Hamilton, but also many of the minutes that the veteran guard would have played. Dunleavy agreed to a two-year contract likely worth the mini mid-level exception with the Bulls yesterday.
As Berger tweets, if he can be had for a reduced salary, Hamilton still represents a decent option for a contending team. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) expects the Knicks to at least kick the tires on the veteran shooting guard, who shares an agent (Leon Rose) with Carmelo Anthony.
Odds & Ends: Marbury, Shaw, J.R. Smith, Calathes
Stephon Marbury hasn't played in the NBA since the 2008/09 season, and he's not interested in making a comeback, telling reporters Tuesday in China that he prefers to continue playing in the Chinese league. Jonas Terrado of Tempo has the details. With the draft now just hours away, there's plenty of news on guys who are and will be a part of the NBA, and here's the latest:
- New Nuggets coach Brian Shaw has a three-year deal with an option for a fourth, and his annual salary will be around $2MM, reports Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. It's not clear whether the option belongs to the Nuggets or to Shaw, though usually options in coaching contracts belong to the team.
- The top priority for the Knicks this summer is retaining J.R. Smith, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who passes along the note in an updated version of his story on the team's decision to extend a qualifying offer to Pablo Prigioni.
- The Mavs own the rights to former second-round pick Nick Calathes, and there's mutual interest in bringing him to the NBA next season, reports Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Other NBA teams are interested, too, and the Mavs are willing to trade him if they can't fit him on their roster, McMahon writes.
- While noting that Luol Deng's camp is dismissing the idea that there's an extension in the works with the Bulls, as we heard yesterday, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Bulls are calling around to see what they can get for Richard Hamilton.
- Pacers assistant Jim Boylen has an agreement in place with the Spurs to join Gregg Popovich's coaching staff in San Antonio, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Boylen is not to be confused with former Bucks coach Jim Boylan, whom the Cavs hired as an assistant coach earlier today.
- Sixers insiders expect minority owner Dave Heller to take over Adam Aron's role as liaison between the team's basketball operations and principal owner Josh Harris, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bulls Expected To Buy Out Richard Hamilton
Although the Bulls ultimately decided not to move Richard Hamilton at the trade deadline, the team is expected to part ways with the veteran guard this summer, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson writes that Hamilton will be bought out by the Bulls, though he still hopes to play at least two more seasons in the NBA.
Hamilton, 35, is under contract for one more season, but his salary for next season is only partially guaranteed. While the Bulls would have to pay $5MM to retain Hamilton for the season, they could save $4MM of that total by buying him out for $1MM. Per Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, an official decision on Hamilton is due by July 10th, the day after this year's July Moratorium, so it appears likely we'll see him released by then.
Significant portions of Hamilton's last two seasons with the Bulls have been wiped out by injuries. When healthy, he has played the equivalent of about one full season, averaging 10.5 PPG in 78 contests (22.9 MPG). Assuming he's officially waived, he'll join a group of unrestricted free agent shooting guards that includes Manu Ginobili, J.J. Redick, Kevin Martin, Tony Allen, Nick Young, and Chicago teammate Marco Belinelli.
Injured Players On Expiring Contracts
The Lakers announced yesterday that Metta World Peace underwent successful surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus, and will miss six weeks. Whether or not the Lakers make the playoffs, World Peace's season could be over, and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News wondered yesterday if the veteran forward has played his last game as a Laker.
World Peace isn't necessarily in the final year of his contract, since he has a player option for next season. However, if he exercises that option, he becomes a prime candidate to be amnestied. If he declines the option, he'll hit unrestricted free agency. Either way, the man formerly known as Ron Artest may sign a new contract before he plays in his next NBA game.
A number of players are in the same situation as World Peace, with potential free agency looming and an injury keeping them off the court. Here are a few guys who we may not see play for their current teams again, and whose free agent stocks could be affected by their current injuries:
- Leandro Barbosa (Wizards): If you'd forgotten Barbosa was on the Wizards' roster, you're probably not alone. Acquired for salary purposes in the deal that sent Jordan Crawford to Boston, Barbosa is on an expiring minimum-salary contract, and his ACL/MCL injury may hurt his chances of signing another deal this offseason. Having suffered the season-ending injury in February, he probably won't be healthy in time for fall camps.
- Rodrigue Beaubois (Mavericks): Eligible for restricted free agency this summer, Beaubois underwent surgery on his hand last week, and is unlikely to return this season. I doubt the Mavs will make him a qualifying offer, and there's a good chance he doesn't return to Dallas.
- Andrew Bynum (76ers): As well-documented as any non-Derrick Rose injury this season, Bynum's ongoing knee troubles will certainly hurt his earning potential in free agency this summer, and may also ensure he never plays a game with the Sixers.
- Richard Hamilton (Bulls): While Hamilton remains optimistic that he'll play again this season, his ongoing health problems will likely lead the Bulls to part ways with him this summer. Hamilton's $5MM salary for 2013/14 is partially guaranteed, so he figures to receive a $1MM buyout and hit the free agent market.
- Sasha Pavlovic (Trail Blazers): Pavlovic's quad injury has kept him out of action for more than a month, but even if he were healthy, he doesn't appear to be part of the Trail Blazers' plans. Although he's under contract for two more seasons, both years are non-guaranteed, so he may find himself seeking a new deal this July.
- A.J. Price (Wizards): Price earned 22 starts this season for the Wizards, so perhaps the team will have interest in bringing him back next year. He's eager to return to the court to try to improve his free agent stock, but for now, groin issues are keeping him out indefinitely.
- Brandon Roy (Timberwolves): All the time Roy has missed this season with knee problems ensured that the second year of his contract with the Timberwolves became non-guaranteed, and there's virtually no chance the Wolves will retain him and his $5.33MM salary. If Roy is forced to call it a career at season's end, it would be an unfortunate way for him to go out, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's where we're headed.
- Brandon Rush (Warriors): After going down during the season's first week, Rush underwent knee surgery in January that ended his year. Fortunately for him, he's got a $4MM player option for 2013/14, so he figures to be returning to the Warriors rather than looking for work next year.
- Jason Smith (Hornets): Out for the season with a torn labrum, Smith, like Hamilton, has a partially guaranteed contract for 2013/14. The price to keep him wouldn't be exorbitant – $1MM of his $2.5MM salary is guaranteed – so we'll have to wait and see what the Hornets decide.
- Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace (Knicks): A pair of aging Knicks bigs on expiring contracts, it would be a little surprising to see both Thomas and Wallace playing in the NBA next year, even if they return in the playoffs. Even if Thomas and Wallace wanted to extend their playing careers, their latest foot issues would raise red flags for any interested teams.
- Elliot Williams (Trail Blazers): Unlike some other players on this list, Williams is no lock to receive an NBA contract, especially if he can't show that he's healthy before the fall. That's probably why, even after surgery on his achilles, he talked about wanting to return to the court in '12/13 and auditioning in the Summer League.