Western Notes: Williams, Asik, Rondo
Devin Harris hopes to have a “rejuvenated” Deron Williams with the Mavericks next season, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Williams signed a two-year deal with Dallas last month after being waived by the Nets.
“I know what kind of player he is,” Harris said of Williams, whom he was once traded for. “I know he’s excited to be rejuvenated here, especially coming back home. And you know, hopefully he can kind of rejuvenate what he’s been doing, play at a high level and get us to where we need to be.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Pelicans signed Omer Asik to a five-year, $58MM contract this offseason and Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders believes it is one of the worst contracts handed out this offseason. The writer cites Asik’s age as well as the declining value of the traditional center as reason for the pessimism. Only $44MM of the center’s deal is fully guaranteed, so the team could get out from the contract if needed after only four years.
- Dowsett also lists Rajon Rondo‘s new pact with Sacramento as a deal that the team will ultimately regret. Rondo’s deal is for $9.5MM over one season, but Dowsett believes the Kings could have signed the point guard for less due to the lack of suitors, which would have allowed the team to spend elsewhere.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Spurs Rumors: Luxury Tax, Marjanovic, Hammon
The Spurs‘ offseason maneuvers could put them over the luxury tax for the first time since 2011/12, according to Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio, which added free agent LaMarcus Aldridge and re-signed Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, has 16 players under contract at a total of $87.073MM. That figure is more than $17MM over the $70MM salary cap and more than $2.33MM over the luxury tax threshold. That would saddle the Spurs with a tax payment of about $4.1MM, although that likely will change because the tax is imposed based on the end-of-season roster. Thirteen of the Spurs’ contacts are guaranteed in full. Matt Bonner has a $947,276 veteran’s minimum deal with just under $750K guaranteed. Jimmer Fredette also has a veteran’s minimum deal with only $507K guaranteed. Reggie Williams is still on the roster with a non-guaranteed $1.185MM contract.
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Boban Marjanovic told Blic Sports (translation via Projectspurs) that he had hoped to play for the Serbian National Team at Eurobasket, but the Spurs nixed the idea. “From the first days of preparation there was a great atmosphere in the team,” Marjanovic said. “It’s a fantastic group of guys that I am convinced that it will be able to achieve the desired goal and placed on the Olympics.” Marjanovic signed a one-year deal with San Antonio last month.
- Becky Hammon, who made history as the NBA’s first female assistant coach, told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that she is encouraged to see so many women receive coaching opportunites. Since Hammon’s hiring, the Kings added Nancy Lieberman as an assistant and the Arizona Cardinals made Jen Welter the first female assistant coach in the NFL. “I’m just happy other women are getting opportunities,” Hammon said. “There are just so many capable women out there, and I’m glad to be in the same sentence. It was just a tremendous month for the ladies.”
Kings Notes: Thompson, Cousins, Arena
Jason Thompson says he was “in shock” a week ago when the Sixers, the team he grew up watching in nearby New Jersey, traded him to the Warriors before he ever played a game in a Philly uniform, as the power forward tells Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group. Thompson, whom the Kings had traded to the Sixers earlier in July, added that he’s glad to join a championship team after playing for seven coaches in seven years, none of whom guided the Kings to the playoffs. Still, Thompson, who’s kept a house in Sacramento, isn’t without his sentiments for the only NBA team he’s ever suited up for.
“I built a lot of relationships there with the fans, and they were real loyal to a guy coming out of New Jersey and they welcomed me with open arms,” Thompson said to Steward. “There are a lot of memories. I wish they were better memories with wins and stuff, but I’m sure, going to play in Sac twice, there are going to be a lot of emotions.”
Thompson is under contract for two more seasons, though his 2016/17 salary is partially guaranteed. See more from California’s capital:
- DeMarcus Cousins, coach George Karl, vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac and assistant GM Mike Bratz “talked openly about everything” during a meeting in Las Vegas this week, Divac said on The Grant Napear Show on CBS Sports 1140 in Sacramento, notes Jason Wise of Kings.com. Discord marked the Kings earlier this summer, when Karl reportedly pushed for the team to trade Cousins.
- Three Sacramento residents have agreed to dismiss their lawsuit against the city government’s funding of a new Kings arena, enabling the city to start paying its share toward construction, which is already in progress, reports Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. A judge gave the city a favorable ruling two weeks ago, and the challenge didn’t appear to pose a serious threat to the arena project.
Kings Interested In Re-Signing Eric Moreland
The Kings would like to re-sign the recently waived Eric Moreland, as vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac said Wednesday in an appearance on The Grant Napear Show on CBS Sports 1140 in Sacramento, notes Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter link). The Kings released the one-year veteran last week, shortly before his minimum salary for the season ahead would have become fully guaranteed. Thus, it seems that Divac and company have wanted the chance to evaluate Moreland in camp, and perhaps beyond, before committing to paying him for the entire season.
Teams and players can renegotiate guarantee dates, as happened recently with the Heat and James Ennis and the Timberwolves and Lorenzo Brown, and perhaps such an adjustment could have forestalled Moreland’s release. However, since Moreland cleared waivers, he’s free to negotiate with other teams to see if anyone else is at least willing to give him a partial commitment. Nuggets executive Pete D’Alessandro was GM of the Kings when they signed Moreland last year, and Denver coach Michael Malone was Moreland’s first NBA boss, though the early word was that Moreland wouldn’t be heading to the Mile High City.
The 23-year-old big man hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase his skills at the NBA level, since a labral tear in his left shoulder ended his rookie year prematurely after he’d made it into only three games this past season. His calling card is rebounding, as he averaged double-figures in boards during his final two college seasons and pulled down 12.7 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game in seven contests for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate before his injury.
The Kings have 14 guaranteed contracts, plus David Stockton, whose salary is non-guaranteed. They also reportedly have Hedo Turkoglu on their radar.
Kings Notes: Cousins, Karl, Divac, Turkoglu
The Kings have had an active offseason, striking deals with nine free agents and swinging a pair of trades that helped clear cap space. They signed another free agent, Luc Mbah a Moute, but voided his contract after a failed physical, a move that’s reportedly poised to draw a grievance from the players union. All of it pales in comparison to the tempest surrounding DeMarcus Cousins this summer, and we have more on that amid the latest from Sacramento:
- Cousins is no stranger to communicating visually, as witnessed by the snake and grass emojis he posted via Twitter amid reports that George Karl wanted to trade him. The center seemingly conveyed different feelings Tuesday via Instagram, posting a photo that depicts him standing arm-in-arm with Karl and Kings vice president of basketball and franchise operations Vlade Divac. Karl and Cousins apparently didn’t have any interaction for months before a brief meeting at summer league, when USA Today’s Sam Amick reported the existence of plans for a more extensive meeting. It would appear, by the looks of the photo, that the meeting has taken place, but a simple photo hardly means the tension that reportedly had Cousins wanting out has disappeared, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
- Hedo Turkoglu isn’t thinking about playing overseas for now and would prefer to remain in the NBA, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Kings have emerged as a possibility for the Jim Tanner client, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last week, citing the presence of Divac, a former teammate and friend.
- The Kings brought in noteworthy talent via free agency and Ben McLemore has the potential to take a leap forward, but the mix remains combustible, tempering all the reasons for optimism in Sacramento, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines.
- What’s your take on the Kings offseason? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Pacific Notes: Prigioni, Dukan, Lieberman
Pablo Prigioni, who inked a one year deal with the Clippers this offseason, said that Los Angeles was his preferred destination all along, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “I didn’t even consider to choose another team or to go back to Europe,” Prigioni said. “’I said, I want to go there [to Los Angeles].’ This is a perfect team. This is a team that has a group of guys that are playing together the last four or five years. Now, same coach, add a couple of new guys. This is a perfect team to go to and try to give my best and help with whatever they need to do.”
Here’s more from the NBA’s Pacific Division:
- Grantland’s Zach Lowe figures the range of salaries on a would-be extension for the Warriors‘ Harrison Barnes would fall between those on DeMarre Carroll‘s four-year, $58MM deal with the Raptors and the 2016/17 maximum salary for players with Barnes’ years of experience, projected to come in at $20.4MM.
- Duje Dukan‘s deal with the Kings will see him earn $525,093, which is fully guaranteed, for the 2015/16 campaign, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The forward is scheduled to make $874,636 in the second year of the pact, $200k of which becomes guaranteed on August 1st, 2016, Pincus adds.
- New Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman, in a Q&A with David Aldridge of NBA.com, said one of her biggest challenges will be in knowing when to chime in with her opinions, since all of her previous experience was as a head coach. “Summer League was really important for me. Summer League helped validate that I’m not a pushy broad,” Lieberman said. “I have been a head coach my whole life. I’ve never been an assistant, to be honest. I’m the one that has to do some of the growing here. I have got to learn when to speak, when my voice is required, and quite frankly, when to just shut the heck up. So that part is new for me. That will be new for me. But George [Karl] is a pretty easy guy to be around.”
- The Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate, have hired Casey Owens as head coach, Pincus reports (via Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Kings Rumors: Mbah a Moute, Grievance, Lieberman
The Kings are refusing to comment on an expected grievance by Luc Mbah a Moute, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The National Basketball Players Association plans to file the action next week after Sacramento voided the free agent’s contract over a failed physical. Jones says the team is standing by its medical findings, which indicated a problem with the forward’s right shoulder. Mbah a Moute had agreed to a one-year, $1.55MM deal, but the contract was voided after the results of the physical. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks said the grievance could be affected by whether an MRI or x-ray was done on the player’s shoulder or whether it was a routine exam (Twitter link). He adds that it is solely up to team doctors whether to pass or fail a player, but those procedures help to protect an organization if something is questioned (Twitter link).
There’s more from Sacramento:
- Mbah a Moute claims Sacramento’s decision was faulty in an interview with Pape Birame Sy of Basket USA (translation via HoopsHype). “What happened with the Kings? They made a mistake, an error in judgment,” Mbah a Moute said. “At the moment we are working with the Kings and the players’ union to fix the situation.” Mbah a Moute also said the ruling damages his “image.”
- Nancy Lieberman, hired this week as the league’s second female assistant coach, expects to find out soon what her exact duties will be, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. She plans to meet with vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac and coach George Karl today in Las Vegas at the NBA coaches camp. “I’m sure they’ll let me what my role will be,” Lieberman said. “George will know, and whatever he wants, I’ll deliver.
- In a radio interview with Grant Napier of HTK Sports 1140, Lieberman relates a friendly welcome she received from DeMarcus Cousins during summer league, writes Jason Wise of NBA.com. “He put his arm around my shoulder and goes ‘Are you going to be with us the whole season?’ and I said ‘Do you want me to be around all season? and we kind of looked at each other and he said ‘That would be cool,” Lieberman recalls.
Latest On Luc Mbah a Moute
The National Basketball Players Association plans to file a grievance early next week against the Kings questioning how valid it was for the franchise to void free agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute’s contract over an alleged failed medical physical, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports writes.
Mbah a Moute’s representatives at Wasserman Media Group and NBPA officials, using independent medical examinations that say Mbah a Moute is cleared to play, are disputing the legitimacy of the Kings’ procedure and conclusion, Wojnarowski adds, citing league sources. As Wojnarowski also points out, Mbah a Moute has been medically cleared to play for Team Africa against Team World in the first NBA exhibition game in Africa.
The forward had previously agreed to a one-year, $1.55MM deal with Sacramento, but it was voided when Mbah a Moute failed his physical. The forward has an undisclosed shoulder issue, according to team executive Vlade Divac, which is what caused Mbah a Moute to fail that exam. Mbah a Moute played in 67 games for the Sixers last season, and averaged a career-best 9.9 points per game. Before the report of the planned grievance, the Kings still had some level of interest in signing Mbah a Moute. It is not yet clear if the Kings remain interested.
Pacific Notes: McDonough, Kings, Brown
The month of August will see GM Ryan McDonough transition to a new role with the Suns, with him taking over the responsibilities of departing president of basketball operations Lon Babby, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “It’s good for everybody to make the change that we made,” Babby said. “In any good leader’s job, the most important thing you can do is plan for the next leader, the next succession. I think we’ve done that. This next year will give us a chance to transition, not only with Ryan but also with Trevor [Bukstein, assistant GM] and Pat [Connelly, assistant GM] and our entire basketball-operations staff. I would not have proposed this to Robert [Sarver, Suns managing partner] unless I had complete confidence in the leadership we had. Ryan is constantly going into the role and extraordinarily impressively.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Divsion:
- The Kings have officially announced the hiring of Chad Iske as associate head coach and John Welch, Anthony Carter, and Nancy Lieberman as assistant coaches on George Karl‘s staff.
- It would take a “massive breakdown” in Phoenix for the Suns to trade Eric Bledsoe, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Conflicting reports had painted a confused picture of whether the Suns were talking about trading Bledsoe around draft time, but Kyler hears there’s nothing to his trade candidacy.
- Alec Brown, who was the No. 50 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Suns, has officially signed with the Spanish team Obradoiro, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Brown made 17 appearances during the 2014/15 campaign with Phoenix’s D-League affiliate in Bakersfield, averaging 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest.
Sixers Likely To Move Carl Landry
The Sixers are looking to move veteran forward Carl Landry, who apparently doesn’t factor into the franchise’s plans for next season, Jake Fischer of SI Now reports (Twitter link). Philadelphia intends to try and trade Landry, and falling short of that, will look to reach a buyout arrangement with the player or waive him outright, Fischer notes.
Landry, 31, is set to earn $6.5MM for each of the next two campaigns, and was acquired by the Sixers as part of the trade that garnered the franchise shooting guard Nik Stauskas. The other veteran big man obtained in that deal, Jason Thompson, was dealt today to the Warriors in exchange for Gerald Wallace.
The veteran forward appeared in 70 contests for the Kings during the 2014/15 season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 17.0 minutes per game. Landry’s career numbers through eight NBA seasons are 10.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 0.7 APG, and he owns a slash line of .534/.176/.788.