Sixers, Blazers, Raptors Eye Anthony Bennett
3:49pm: The Cavaliers, Blazers, and Jazz will also pass on claiming Bennett, Wojnarowski relays (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 3:40pm: The Sixers don’t intend on making a waiver claim on Bennett, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets.
2:31pm: A “growing suspicion” around the league is that Bennett will end up with the Blazers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (All Twitter links). Portland would like to sign him in free agency instead of claiming him off waivers, though given their deficit beneath the $63MM salary floor, absorbing Bennett’s full salary wouldn’t necessarily cost the Blazers extra money, Stein points out. A waiver claim would surely be Minnesota’s preference, too, since the team would be off the hook for any money to Bennett in that situation.
11:58am: The Sixers, just like the Blazers, plan to carefully study the possibility of claiming Bennett, Wojnarowski reports in a new full piece. Bennett’s camp would prefer that he hit free agency so that he can choose his next team, Wojnarowski adds.
TUESDAY, 11:21am: The Trail Blazers are expected to pursue No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett once he hits waivers following his Timberwolves buyout deal, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Bennett and the Wolves have agreed to the buyout, and the team will release him soon, Charania reported minutes ago. Portland has enough cap room to claim Bennett off waivers, but it’s not immediately clear if the Blazers plan to do so or prefer to chase him in free agency. The Sixers also have the cap room necessary to claim him, and the Cavaliers have a trade exception large enough to snag him off waivers, too, though it’s not clear if either of those teams have any such inclination. The Jazz can clear the requisite cap space if they cut some non-guaranteed money, but they are unlikely to have interest, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported Monday.
Portland employs Canadian national team head coach Jay Triano as an assistant coach, as Charania alluded to and as former Nets executive Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link). The Raptors also have interest, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has heard, though Toronto could only end up with him if he hits free agency first, and the Raptors would be limited to paying him the minimum salary, since they used up their cap space and spent their room exception on Bismack Biyombo.
The Blazers have only 13 fully guaranteed contracts, plus four more without full guarantees, as our roster count shows. They have a league-low of nearly $48MM in guaranteed money, so they would have no trouble fitting Bennett on the roster. The trick would be in finding playing time for him at power forward, where Portland has Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh, whose presence Jabari Young of Comcast SportsNet Northwest cited to Hoops Rumors when he suggested reasons why the team hasn’t signed Tristan Thompson to an offer sheet. The addition of Bennett, if it takes place, would ostensibly extinguish any hint that Portland would circle back to Thompson before the start of the season, though that’s just my speculation.
Toronto doesn’t have a clear-cut starter at power forward, seemingly Bennett’s best position, since the Raptors appear poised to take a small-ball approach with free agent signee DeMarre Carroll at the four, where the alternative would be starting Patrick Patterson. Still, the presence of Luis Scola and James Johnson would complicate Bennett’s chances at minutes.
The Sixers already have signed contracts or verbal deals with 20 players for camp, so they’d have to get out of one of them to add Bennett. Only 13 Sixers have fully guaranteed pacts, including Nerlens Noel, who was the front-runner to become the No. 1 pick in 2013 before an injury cleared the way for Bennett. Noel is the presumptive starter at the power forward position, though the rotation at the four is settled beyond him.
What do you think would be the best landing spot for Bennett? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Northwest Notes: Rubio, Donovan, Matthews
Timberwolves GM Milt Newton poured cold water on persistent Ricky Rubio trade rumors, telling Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press that the front office is “not talking to anybody about trading Ricky” and that the team expects the point guard to play an integral role.
“He’s one of the best facilitators in the NBA,” Newton said. “We’ve got a young team of guys that are athletic, that are going to get up and down. And we’re going to utilize those talents that they have. Who better than Ricky to be the one leading the charge, pushing the pace, pushing the ball and getting our guys easy opportunities and getting the ball where they can be their best? We’re looking to him to be that person.”
Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher said earlier this month that the Wolves had lost faith in Rubio and had gauged the market for him, though Bucher added that he heard trade talks weren’t ongoing. Since then, Newton assumed control of the front office from the ailing Flip Saunders, who’s on a leave of absence as he recovers from cancer treatments. See more from the Northwest Division:
- Thunder GM Sam Presti said this week that he didn’t have any influence in Billy Donovan‘s assistant coaching hires, moves that complement the first-year NBA head coach with veterans Monty Williams and Maurice Cheeks, as The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel details. “Billy, great quality about him, he did not know Monty, and he did not know Maurice Cheeks,” Presti said. “He interviewed those guys. He really liked them. He felt like they could help. He was totally aligned with our vision for an organization. One of the things that make him able to do that, he naturally and intrinsically gravitates to those kinds of people. Those guys have been great together. We’re grateful those guys were willing to jump in. Both those guys have accomplished a lot.”
- The Trail Blazers had no reason to pay a premium to retain Wesley Matthews once LaMarcus Aldridge left, given Matthews’ torn Achilles and the rebuilding phase that Portland is entering, contends Shaun Powell of NBA.com in his review of the team’s offseason. Jabari Young of Comcast SportsNet Northwest presented a different take on that in our latest installment of The Beat.
- The max deal Matthews signed with the Mavs appears on the list of the five worst contracts for the future that Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports compiled. Also on the list is Enes Kanter, who signed an offer sheet with the Blazers that the Thunder matched, and former Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson, now on a five-year, $80MM deal with the Pistons.
Northwest Notes: Bennett, Waiters, Leonard
The Timberwolves shopped Anthony Bennett all around the league, even offering him in exchange for a top-55 protected second-round pick that would be unlikely ever to end up in Minnesota, but nobody had interest, several league sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe. A trade would have put a team on the hook for his entire salary of nearly $5.804MM for this season, and the same would be true if a team claims him off waivers. However, if the former No. 1 overall pick hits free agency, he would be a worthwhile investment on the minimum salary, Lowe argues. See more from around the Northwest Division:
- Royce Young of Daily Thunder transcribes several key comments that Thunder GM Sam Presti made Wednesday, including a hint that he sees Steven Adams as a long-term core player and his thoughts on extension candidate Dion Waiters. “This is a guy that at 23 years old has some tools that are not easily found,” Presti said of Waiters. “That is one of the reasons that we went to acquire him. At the same time, he has got work to do and he will be the first to tell you that. Some slight adjustments with this guy’s game could lead to some pretty significant impact. I think he has the tools to be an impact player.”
- Meyers Leonard, another extension-eligible player, is in line for a starting spot with the Blazers, or at least a significant rotation role of the sort he’s yet to have since he became the 11th overall pick in 2012, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman examines. His rookie scale contract is set to expire at season’s end.
- The Wolves officially hired Bryan Gates as an assistant coach and promoted Calvin Booth, who had been a scout and director of player programs, to player personnel director, the team announced along with other staff moves. Shooting coach Mike Penberthy, whom Flip Saunders had said would continue with the team, instead decided to leave, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link), though he’ll still work with Ricky Rubio, with whom he was close, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
The Beat: Jabari Young On Blazers, Spurs
Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.
We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group about the Warriors. Click here to see all of the previous editions of this series.
Today, we gain insight on the Spurs and the Trail Blazers from Jabari Young, who’s moving from Comcast SportsNet Northwest to the San Antonio Express-News. You can follow Jabari on Twitter at @JabariJYoung, and check out his archive of material for Comcast SportsNet Northwest right here.
Hoops Rumors: You spent the past season covering the Blazers and LaMarcus Aldridge, and now you’re following his footsteps to San Antonio to once more cover the Spurs. So, given your unique insight here, what do you think he found so appealing about the Spurs, and what persuaded him to change his mind about staying with the Trail Blazers?
Jabari Young: It’s well-known LaMarcus has always been intrigued by the Spurs. His respect for Tim Duncan is also well-documented. I think his decision to end his tenure in Portland was a mixture of an opportunity to learn from Tim firsthand, be coached by Gregg Popovich, be closer to winning a championship than any point of his career, and return to Texas (his home state). He likes the team’s unselfish style, and will not try to emulate Tim one bit, but leave his own mark with the Spurs playing his game and becoming a part of their championship history. The Spurs have everything Aldridge needs from top to bottom to finally win a ring, which is important to him. After all, he took less money to join the Spurs.
Hoops Rumors: The last time the Spurs made a free agent signing nearly as splashy, it was Richard Jefferson, and that didn’t go so well. What have the Spurs learned since then that will help them incorporate a star like Aldridge into their system?
Jabari Young: With Popovich at the helm, the Spurs have learned not to fall in love with just any big name. It has to be someone they feel will enter the organization and fit right into the way they do things, led by Popovich/Duncan. LaMarcus was the perfect fit because of his willingness to adapt to this philosophy, but at the same time play his game. I feel the Spurs will allow Aldridge to play his style and he’ll also adjust. Plain and simple, Aldridge is arguably the best power forward in the NBA and wanted to be in San Antonio. It’s not every day the Spurs experience a top free agent like Aldridge wanting to join. With Duncan possibly in his final year(s), Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on their last run, Aldridge, along with Kawhi Leonard, will be handed the keys to usher the Spurs into a new era. The Spurs trust that Aldridge has the right tools to help them stay afloat after the “Big Three” have departed. He has the basketball IQ and wants to win at this point in his career. It should be a good fit for both parties.
Hoops Rumors: Why do you think the Blazers signed Enes Kanter to a max offer sheet but haven’t done so, at least so far, with Tristan Thompson?
Jabari Young: The Blazers wanted to add a more established offensive threat in Enes Kanter to the mix. It’s not that they aren’t high on Mason Plumlee, but adding Kanter would’ve helped take pressure off Damian Lillard on offense. Tristan Thompson doesn’t pose the same threat on offense as Kanter does, and the Blazers are invested in power forwards Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh. Adding Thompson would only disturb the progress of Leonard and Vonleh. Kanter, as a center, would’ve been a different type of signing.
Hoops Rumors: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and David West won’t make as much put together this season as Danny Green will on his $10MM salary, and Green probably could have signed elsewhere for more money. What is it about the Spurs that convinces all these guys to make financial sacrifices?
Jabari Young: For a player like Danny Green, I feel he’s learned the grass isn’t always greener (see what I did there :-) ) on the other side. Take less money, be in contention for another championship, no pressure as being an overpaid signing. He’ll still earn more money than last season and already has a solid role within the Spurs system. Most guys would chase the money, ignoring everything else. Those players who have taken less to stay put realize they will not only be taken care of financially, but personally, and have the opportunity to win championships. Add that to the fact the Spurs are well-known for protecting their players, and the community support, some just feel it’s better to remain and take less than to take more, be on a bad team, have a bad role, and no real chance to win. Sometimes less is more, but it takes a certain player to realize this. Danny Green is that type of player.
Hoops Rumors: The Blazers had seven free agents at the end of the season, including Aldridge, and they didn’t re-sign any of them. Is there any one of them who you’re surprised they didn’t bring back once they learned Aldridge was going elsewhere?
Jabari Young: So much was depending on the future of Aldridge that once he walked, even if all their free agents were still available, it would’ve been hard to see them re-signing. What Blazers GM Neil Olshey did was alter the face of the franchise with Lillard at the helm, adding younger players who will buy into it being Lillard’s team. With that said, you would think Wesley Matthews, with all he’s given the Blazers over the years and the respect he’s earned among the fans in Portland, would have gotten some kind of offer from the Blazers. His injury was serious, so it’s hard to knock the Blazers for not pursuing his services again, but the injury did occur in a Portland uniform; hence, one would think the Blazers would take care of him. But it’s a business, and they treated it like one by moving on.
Hoops Rumors: Does Jimmer Fredette have what it takes to stick with the Spurs?
Jabari Young: He’s a shooter, which is always welcome in San Antonio (see Matt Bonner). Thing is, will he make enough of an impact to stay? The Spurs will not just give him a roster spot. He’ll have to earn it. How bad he wants to be a part of this team, time will tell. But if he makes the opening night roster, he could be a threat. Right now, I’d say it’s 50/50 he sticks.
And-Ones: Nets, Clippers, Blazers
The non-guaranteed deal that 11-year veteran Dahntay Jones signed with the Nets earlier this month doesn’t fit with the rest of the team’s offseason signings, NetsDaily writes, because he is the oldest Net at 34 and averaged less than a point, less than a rebound and less than an assist per game in a mere 33 games for the Clippers. Jones, however, is known for his toughness and leadership and those are the kind of qualities coaches like on a contender, not a rebuilding team, NetsDaily adds.
Here’s more from around the league:
- D’Angelo Russell, whom the Lakers chose with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, believes he can win the Rookie of the Year award this season and that the Lakers will be in the playoffs, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes.
- With size, strength and athleticism, there’s a decent chance Cliff Alexander, who has a non-guaranteed contract worth a reported $525,093, will be a low-risk, high-reward building block for the Blazers‘ future, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes.
- Former Mavs center Greg Smith did not have an impressive showing in a workout for the Guangdong Tigers, international correspondent David Pick reports (via Twitter).
- The Kentucky Wildcats will showcase their players to league executives in a combine on October 11th, tweets Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy, who cites sources.
- After a productive offseason that was highlighted by the re-signing of DeAndre Jordan and the additions of Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, Josh Smith and Pablo Prigioni, the 2015/16 version of the Clippers is the most talented team the franchise has ever assembled, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines.
Western Notes: Williams, Pressey, Blazers
While Deron Williams was regarded as one of the league’s top point guards not too long ago, just being a serviceable option seems to be the goal nowadays for the former All-Star, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes in a lengthy explanatory piece on Williams’ decline. The Mavs signed Williams to a low-risk, two-year contract worth about $10MM with the hopes that the 31-year-old will regain some form.
“I don’t think he’ll be an All-Star again because of how good the West guards are,” one longtime executive told Berger. “I don’t think he’s a top-15 point guard right now, but I think he can eventually get there.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Entering his third NBA season, Phil Pressey will begin his first season with the Blazers and enter another training camp competing with Tim Frazier for a backup point guard role, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes. Both young guards will compete for minutes behind All-Star Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. In his assessment of the player, Richman writes that Pressey is a pure point guard with natural passing instincts who struggles to shoot the ball. Pressey, as Richman points out, has a non-guaranteed contract worth $947,276.
- Frazier, who has a non-guaranteed contract worth $845,059, has a shot for more playing time, according to Richman in another story, because he loves to push the pace in transition and is a natural, willing passer.
Northwest Notes: Faried, Bennett, Kaman
People close to the Nuggets have indicated that Kenneth Faried played a larger role in the downfall of former coach Brian Shaw than publicly known, according to Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Trade rumors surrounded Faried for much of the past year, and many people around the league expect Denver will deal him away. Still, Dowsett takes Shaw to task for his performance as a coach last season and calls the hiring of Michael Malone the team’s best offseason addition. See more from the Northwest Division:
- Anthony Bennett looked strong playing for the Canadian national team during the summer, and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor downplayed the idea that the Wolves will trade the former No. 1 overall pick, telling Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, “We shouldn’t assume he’d go” (Twitter link). The Wolves have reportedly been willing to move Bennett for the right return.
- Chris Kaman would probably fit best on a contender, but he enjoyed playing for the Trail Blazers last season, and Kaman’s level of contentment has had much to do with whether he’s been successful over the past few seasons, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman examines. Kaman will make $5.016MM this season in the last year of his contract.
- The exodus of so many of last season’s Trail Blazers has C.J. McCollum excited about the more prominent role he’s poised to take on this year, one reminiscent of his time as a scoring force in college at Lehigh, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. McCollum is hopeful that he can continue to work with Steve Nash, who helped him with his game this summer, even though Nash is reportedly finalizing a deal to become a part-time player development consultant for the Warriors.
Western Notes: Jazz, Nash, Mavs, Crabbe
The Jazz are content to play through the preseason, at least, with the point guards they have now, rather than trading for a Dante Exum replacement, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah won’t turn down an overwhelming offer, but the team isn’t pushing for a deal as Exum recovers from surgery two weeks ago on the torn ACL in his left knee, as Jones details. The team was reportedly interested in dealing for Garrett Temple and pursued Jason Terry before he re-signed with the Rockets, but Jones and Tribune colleague Aaron Falk wrote shortly after Exum’s injury last month that the Jazz would probably replace him in-house with Trey Burke, Raul Neto and Bryce Cotton. See more from the Western Conference here:
- Steve Nash is finalizing a deal with the Warriors to become a part-time player development consultant for the team, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The two-time MVP, now 41 years old, announced his retirement this spring. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was Suns GM during Nash’s time in Phoenix.
- Point guard isn’t an issue for the Mavericks, who again feature four players at that position, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com notes. The team replaced Rajon Rondo with Deron Williams, re-signed J.J. Barea and, though the Mavs reportedly planned to shop Raymond Felton, he remains in Dallas.
- Allen Crabbe‘s 35.3% three-point shooting last season was respectable but far from elite, and this year is the last on his contract, so the former 31st overall pick spent much of the summer working on his shot with Blazers assistant coach Nate Tibbetts, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details. Portland kept Crabbe past the point this summer when his minimum salary for the season ahead became guaranteed.
Western Notes: Timberwolves, Vonleh, Warriors
Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell will have his patience tested by flashy point guard Ricky Rubio, David Aldridge of NBA.com opines. While the franchise wants to take pressure off Rubio by making him understand that he’s no longer viewed as its savior, he may be on a shorter leash than he had with coach Flip Saunders, who is out indefinitely while he receives cancer treatments, Aldridge continues. It was Saunders, as the franchise’s president of basketball operations, who gave Rubio a $56MM extension last year, Aldridge points out. In the same piece, Aldridge also reports that many people around the league felt team owner Glen Taylor wanted to bring back Mitchell as the team’s head coach, though not under these circumstances. Mitchell was one of the franchise’s most beloved players and a former NBA Coach of the Year with Toronto, Aldridge adds.
In other news around the Western Conference:
- Noah Vonleh’s size, shooting touch and ballhandling make him an intriguing prospect but he needs to prove he can consistently use those skills against NBA competition, according to Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Vonleh, who was traded to the Trail Blazers from the Hornets this offseason, led Portland’s summer team in scoring (17.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.5) while displaying his ballhandling and ability to take slower forwards off the dribble, Richman continues. A sports hernia injury in training camp sidelined Vonleh early in his rookie season and he got buried in Charlotte’s crowded frontcourt rotation, Richman adds.
- Ian Clark and Jarell Eddie will receive approximately half of their salaries if they make the Warriors’ opening night roster, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Clark, a 6’3” shooting guard, would receive $474K on the contract he signed Monday. Eddie, a 6’7” small forward who also signed Monday, would make $423K.
- The Warriors announced that 1,650 fans were denied access to Oracle Arena last season due to counterfeit tickets purchased from third-party vendors, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
Northwest Notes: D-League, Wolves, Westbrook
The acquisition of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants by the Pacers will certainly change how teams around the NBA without their own affiliates utilize the D-League. The Blazers severed their partnership with the Idaho Stampede, who are now the Jazz‘s affiliate, at the completion of the 2013/14 campaign, but not having a D-League franchise of its own hasn’t hurt Portland’s player development yet, Mike Richman of the Oregonian opines. The franchise was still able to add point guard Tim Frazier last season, who was the D-League’s MVP and Rookie of the Year, despite not having their own affiliate, Richman notes. Establishing its own D-League affiliate isn’t currently a priority for Portland, Richman adds.
Here’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, who’s in charge of the team’s front office while Flip Saunders recovers from cancer, wants to add two more players for training camp and he’ll need to unload one of the team’s 16 fully guaranteed contracts before opening night, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Kevin Durant expressed his admiration for what teammate Russell Westbrook was able to accomplish last season with the rash of injuries the Thunder had suffered, including Durant himself missing a total of 55 contests, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes. “It was amazing to see a guy at the point guard position take over the game from all aspects and will his team with his passion, his enthusiasm, his energy on top of his skill,” Durant said. “It was incredible to watch. I was [expletive] I wasn’t out there to help him out. But I could tell he learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence.“
- The Nuggets are in for a long, difficult season, but the franchise does possess solid building blocks in Jusuf Nurkic and Emmanuel Mudiay, as well as a revitalized Danilo Gallinari, which should give the team hope for the future, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post (Facebook link) in his season preview.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.