And-Ones: Faried, Draft, Gay
Kenneth Faried is headed toward the final year of his rookie-scale contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2015. Re-signing him to an extension this summer will certainly cost the Nuggets, but figuring out what he’s worth is the harder question, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. The article analyzes what the top power forwards are paid, and Faried’s financial place amongst them. In 74 games this season, Faried has averaged 13.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 26.6 minutes per contest.
More from around the league:
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv runs down the NBA Draft prospects who will be playing in Monday night’s NCAA Championship game.
- Former NBA player Danny Schayes of Sheridan Hoops gives his thoughts on why raising the minimum draft age is a bad idea for both the NCAA and the NBA.
- Despite being able to opt out of his current deal this summer, Rudy Gay feels that there is a good chance he could be back with the Kings next season, writes Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders. Gay said that, “Everything is a possibility. For right now I just owe it to my teammates to finish out the season to the best of my ability, and not to comment too much. Obviously this team has the talent and the coach to put it all together.“
- Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) believes it’s a good move for Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky to return to school for another season. Mannix thinks another year could improve their draft stocks, as he had them both slotted as second-rounders this year.
Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Nash, Kings
Public comments following Darren Erman‘s firing from both Mark Jackson and Warriors brass paint the situation as unrelated to basketball or performance, per Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group. GM Bob Myers offered a statement of support to Jackson following the news. “We believe that Mark is fully capable, and we’re confident in his ability to keep going in the right direction, keep propelling us like he has all year, and we believe that he’s going to continue to be successful like he has been,” Myers said. “We believe in his ability the rest of the way.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Jackson told Leung he’s confident his team can overcome the latest shakeup of the Warriors coaching staff, which comes on the heels of the demotion of former assistant Brian Scalabrine. “This is not the norm,” Jackson said. “That’s OK because really in both decisions, the right decisions were made. You move forward. To me, I think it’s a great time for us as a team and an organization. To still be standing, this isn’t new.”
- Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group thinks that some of the turmoil facing the Warriors coaching staff is part of a conscious effort by owner Joe Lacob to put pressure on Jackson to see how he and the team handle it.
- Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni believes Steve Nash will play again this season despite his recurring injuries and soreness, and hopes the point guard won’t be forced into early retirement. He commented to reporters, including Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times, on the possibility of Nash being waived under the stretch provision, and not being picked up by another team. “I think it’s way too early to surmise that,” said D’Antoni. “If it happens, it happens and he’s had an unbelievable career, a Hall of Famer for sure.”
- After a blowout loss to the Warriors last night, Kings coach Michael Malone is still optimistic about what he’s building in Sacramento, he tells Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “We knew full well that it wasn’t going to be easy when we took over the job here in Golden State [where Malone was an assistant], and when I took the job in Sacramento,” said Malone. “You just have to lay a foundation and kind of pound that rock every day, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.”
And-Ones: Adrian Griffin, Young, Murphy
Once a catalyst in the movement that paved a way for players to go from high school straight to the NBA, former NBA All-Star Spencer Haywood ironically supports the idea of raising the league’s age-limit to 20-years-old, details Sam Amick of USA Today. Haywood is currently concerned about the potential effects of the one-and-done rule on college basketball and in the NBA:
“You have no locker room camaraderie…You have no veteran leadership. It’s just young guys making up their own rules as they go. They don’t have the examples to show them what this game is all about. So it’s going to hurt the league, and it’s definitely hurting college basketball.”
Here are more miscellaneous news and notes from around the Association tonight:
- Current Bulls assistant and former NBA player Adrian Griffin spoke with Sean Deveney of the Sporting News about his aspirations of eventually becoming an NBA head coach: “It’s definitely my goal…I have been learning a lot in this role, this is my sixth year. I learned under (Tom Thibodeau), I learned under Scott Skiles and overall, it is great to see how things work in an organization, especially an organization like the Bulls. That’s something I could bring to any team.”
- Griffin may ultimately need more experience as an assistant before landing a head-coaching job, but he could definitely be active on the interview circuit if there are head coaching vacancies this summer, writes Deveney.
- Nick Young‘s agent, Mark Bartelstein, tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that it still remains presumptuous whether or not his client will opt out of his contract with the Lakers this summer.
- It’ll be surprising if recently-waived Erik Murphy goes unclaimed, as he appears to be drawing interest from around the league (Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports via Twitter).
- The Rockets are not currently seeking a replacement on their coaching staff for former assistant Kelvin Sampson, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Sacramento city officials plan to unveil key details of an arena deal for the Kings in the next few weeks, leading up to a formal vote on the plan by City Council on May 13, reports Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Jazz rookie Trey Burke tells Spencer Checketts of 1280 The Zone that he loves Utah and “plans on staying here for as long as they’ll let me” (Twitter link).
Western Notes: Young, Llull, Sampson, Kings
Following last night’s game against Sacramento, Lakers guard Nick Young hinted that he plans to opt out this summer and enter free agency (Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com reports). The 6’7 swingman referred to his popular epithet when responding to a question about whether or not he’s already made up his mind: “A little bit. It’s a mystery, though. I’ve got to keep y’all on your toes. That’s what Swaggy P does.”
Last week, we noted that Young would likely test the waters in July and remains interested in re-signing with the Lakers. Though he does hold a 2014/15 player option worth roughly $1.2MM, the L.A. native believes it’s time for a raise: “Most definitely. I deserve much more than that.”
Here’s what else we’ve gathered out West this evening:
- The Rockets have the draft rights to Spanish league guard Sergio Llull, but he’s not among the players the team appears to be considering, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Llull, 26, is considered an NBA-level talent, but his contract with Real Madrid would require a hefty in-season buyout, Stein notes (Twitter links).
- The abruptness of Kelvin Sampson’s departure from the Rockets wasn’t entirely by choice, as league rules mandate that he couldn’t remain with the team after having accepted the head coaching job at the University of Houston, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston.
- Plans for a new Kings arena in Sacramento took another step forward today as the city won an appeals court ruling allowing it to retain possession of a building that sits on the site where the arena is to be built, as Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee details.
- Nearly one year removed from a failed attempt to purchase and relocate the Kings franchise, Chris Hansen tells Percy Allen of the Seattle Times: “It’s inevitable Seattle will have a basketball team. It’s just a matter of when…The next time an opportunity comes our way, we’re going to be in a lot better position. We’re not going to have to prove to the NBA that we’re likely to get an arena built. We’ll have a fully-baked, signed off on deal.”
- As far as an arena proposal goes, Hansen mentions the EIS (Environmental State Impact) process as one hurdle that needs to be cleared; However, he says that the process is going well and expects it to be settled by this summer at the earliest.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Warriors, Seattle, Rockets
Warriors GM Bob Myers thinks coach Mark Jackson has done a “tremendous job” and is supportive of the decision to reassign former assistant coach Brian Scalabrine, as Myers said today on KNBR radio, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (All Twitter links). Ownership and management have a great relationship with Jackson, Myers also asserted. The reason no one from the Warriors front office has publicly defended Jackson is because the team prefers to have only one spokesperson on the rumors surrounding the coach, according to Myers. Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The group of Seattle investors that came close to purchasing the Kings last season is intact and focused solely on attracting an NBA team to the city, rather than going after an NHL club, primary investor Chris Hansen tells Tim Booth of The Associated Press.
- Rockets assistant coach and frequent NBA head coaching candidate Kelvin Sampson has agreed to become the head coach at the University of Houston, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. He’s leaving the Rockets after tonight’s game. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported a deal was close.
- Victor Claver enjoys Portland but he’s not satisfied with his playing time, having seen his minutes cut from 16.6 last year to 8.8 per game this season, as he tells Adriano Correal of Gigantes (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Claver, under contract with the Blazers for one more season, has denied rumors that he wants to return to Europe.
Rudy Gay Rumors: Option, Kings, Grizzlies
Rudy Gay could become one of the most polarizing free agents of the 2014 class if he decides to turn down next season’s player option, worth more than $19.3MM, and hit the market this summer. The Grizzlies and Raptors reached new heights after unloading him, while the Kings have remained at the bottom of the Western Conference since acquiring the 6’8″ forward. Gay has nonetheless played much better in Sacramento, and his 48.4% shooting percentage in 50 games as a King would be a career high if extrapolated over a full season. Here’s the latest on the Octagon Sports client as a critical offseason looms:
- Gay tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he’s so uncertain about whether to exercise his player option that he can’t even identify what will factor into the decision. Still, Howard-Cooper gets the sense that Gay is leaning toward staying with the Kings, whether that means opting in or signing a new deal with the team. “I think I can have a future here for sure,” Gay said. “For sure. With the people we have in the front office, with the coaches, I definitely fit in here. It’s just when you get here, you’re set and you’re settled and everything’s blown over, when you have your contract and everything’s set, no matter where you are, it’s just where do we go from there? I’m looking forward to weighing my options.”
- The 27-year-old said to Howard-Cooper that he can envision himself continuing to play in a rebuilding situation, but he admits to Jonathan Santiago of Cowbell Kingdom that it’s not ideal. “At times it’s tough,” Gay said. “I’m not going to say it’s all peaches and cream because at times it’s tough. But you have to put yourself in a different mindset. Of course, if I was on a vet team, I’d probably be preparing for the playoffs. But since I’m here, I have to make these guys better.”
- His contract, not his inefficient play, is why the Grizzlies decided to trade Gay last year, as Lionel Hollins asserts to Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.
Pacific Rumors: Thomas, Jackson, Marshall
There will be something on the line for every team in the Pacific Division over the final two weeks or so remaining in the regular season. The Clippers have an outside chance at catching the Thunder for the second seed in the Western Conference, while the Warriors and Suns are fighting for one of the final playoff spots and the Kings and Lakers are jockeying for draft lottery position. Plenty of intrigue will carry over into the offseason, as we detail:
- Isaiah Thomas let his affection for the Lakers be known recently, but the soon-to-be restricted free agent tells Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that he’d prefer to remain with the Kings. The Kings would like to keep him, since they’ve concluded that Thomas, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay can form the core of a quality team, Jones writes. “I definitely want to be around when it does turn around,” Thomas said. “I was drafted here. I’ve been welcomed with open arms by the Sacramento community. It just feels like a second home. I can’t control it, though. At the same time, I’m going to do whatever’s possible to be around. That’s all I can do.”
- Regardless of what happens between Mark Jackson and the Warriors, the former Knicks point guard won’t have the chance to return to New York, as Knicks team president Phil Jackson wouldn’t hire him, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob will be the sole decision-maker regarding the coach’s future with Golden State, Kawakami adds (Twitter link).
- Kendall Marshall still holds a grudge against the Suns for trading him just one season after they took him 13th overall in 2012, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The Lakers plan to retain Marshall on his non-guaranteed contract next season, as we noted earlier.
Kings Sign Jared Cunningham To 10-Day Deal
1:01pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
8:01am: The Kings will sign 2012 first-round pick Jared Cunningham to a 10-day contract, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The team is still high on Royce White, whom Sacramento has been considering for another contract, but a shortage of healthy guards has prompted GM Pete D’Alessandro and company to temporarily fill their final roster spot with Cunningham, Jones tweets.
Injuries had left rookies Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum as the only available guards for Sacramento, so Cunningham, a shooting guard, figures to see plenty of minutes. It’ll be a stark contrast from Cunningham’s experience on NBA rosters so far, as he’s played more games on D-League assignment than in the NBA in both seasons since turning pro. The Hawks waived him in late February to address their shortage of bodies in the frontcourt. Cunningham said shortly thereafter that he would sign with an NBA team within the week, but he wound up waiting almost a month for his return to the Association.
The Sam Goldfeder client was the 24th overall pick in 2012, but he’s seen action in just 13 NBA games so far between the Mavs and Hawks, putting up 18 points on 7 for 16 shooting in 48 total minutes. He’s played in 37 D-League games, averaging 16.1 points on 36.9% shooting from the field in 32.5 minutes per contest.
Eastern Notes: Cavs, Sixers, Bucks
DeMar DeRozan tells Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe the Raptors trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings is working out for everyone involved. “The move was a good situation for both of us,” said DeRozan. “When he got traded, the first thing he told me was, ‘This is your time and it’s time to take advantage.’ That meant a lot, just coming from somebody like that.” Here’s more from the East:
- The Cavs have been surging, and even have a slim chance at making the playoffs. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says coach Mike Brown‘s message has finally broken through, and credits the top-down culture change to interim GM David Griffin, who took the reigns when Cleveland was underperforming and dealing with reported locker room issues.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown thanked Philadelphia fans for their patience, telling Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the team’s transparency during their rebuild has been reciprocated with good will. “You may not agree with it,” Brown said. “But this is our path. This is our plan. And I think that the city’s patience has been remarkable. We’re grateful.”
- Kate Fagan of ESPN.com doesn’t think the Sixers can become competitive in the near future, writing that fans shouldn’t expect a competitor in Philadelphia for a few more years.
- Bucks coach Larry Drew tells Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel that he has no interest in tanking games to keep Milwaukee’s odds the highest for securing the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft lottery. “I know people are looking at the future, as far as the draft is concerned. They’ve already got their eyes pinpointed on players of the future. And that’s normal,” said Drew. “But I just let it be known I don’t pay too much attention to that. I just go out and try to coach this team, and wherever we end up, that’s where we are.”
- Ramon Sessions has taken being traded to the worst NBA team in stride, and Drew tells Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel that Sessions’ professionalism has been welcome with the Bucks. “He’s been unbelievable,” Drew said. “He’s just been a real pro in his whole approach in coming into this situation. He really has reached out to our young guys and is helping them.”
Western Notes: Livingston, Canales, Dalembert
Kings coach Michael Malone tells Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders that he hopes Sacramento can retain both Isaiah Thomas and Rudy Gay beyond this year. Thomas is set to be a restricted free agent, and Gay has a $19.3MM player option on his deal. Here’s more from out west:
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee looks at the steep price the Kings would have to pay to keep Thomas and Gay, since their deals would coincide with DeMarcus Cousins‘ extension kicking in.
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities thinks the Timberwolves should target Nets guard Shaun Livingston in free agency, noting that Brooklyn doesn’t own his Bird Rights and that he shares an agent with Nikola Pekovic (Twitter link).
- Jeff Caplan of NBA.com sees parallels between Mavs assistant coach Kaleb Canales and the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra. The 34-year-old Canales was the interim coach for the Trail Blazers in 2012, and a finalist to become the permanent head coach alongside Terry Stotts, who eventually won the job. Caplan believes Canales could get another head coaching opportunity. “Obviously, looking down the road, I would love to have that opportunity again one day,” Canales told Caplan. “But that’s not where my concern is right now. I understand how blessed and fortunate I am, and I don’t take that for granted.”
- After some struggles and a benching early in the season, Mavs center Samuel Dalembert has stepped up his play and earned the trust of his coach and teammates, he tells Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. “It was a challenge in the beginning,” Dalembert said of the first portion of the season. “But after the All-Star break, I kicked it up a little and really figured out how to contribute before my time is up.”