Odds & Ends: Garnett, Spurs, Randolph, Howard
The top of this year's draft figures to be particularly UNC-heavy, with three Tar Heel underclassmen declaring their intentions to enter the draft earlier today. Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall will join senior Tyler Zeller as potential North Carolina lottery picks. And as ESPN.com's Chad Ford writes, the Tar Heels could make it five first-rounders if James McAdoo decides to enter the draft as well (Insider link).
Here are a few more afternoon links from around the Association:
- Kevin Garnett seems open to returning to the Celtics next year and it's hard to argue Boston would be better off without him, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com.
- Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News breaks down the contract details for Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills. Each of the new Spurs signed a minimum deal, with Diaw's expiring at season's end and Mills holding a minimum-salary player option for next season.
- The Kings worked out Shavlik Randolph yesterday, but didn't sign him to a contract, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Jones adds that Randolph may be an option for Sacramento later.
- According to Jeff Van Gundy, "only the most gullible fans" would believe Dwight Howard's decision to play another season with the Magic was about loyalty. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has the details and more quotes from Van Gundy.
Odds & Ends: Garnett, Randolph, Kings, Warriors
Don't look now, but the playoffs begin just one month from today. Most NBA teams are in action tonight with 10 games on the schedule, so let's dive in and check on the news from around The Association:
- Kevin Garnett will be a free agent this summer, but a return to the Wolves might not be at the top of his wish list. He gave a nod to Minnesota fans, but says he had "nothing positive to say" about the franchise, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee noticed Shavlik Randolph walking through the Kings' locker room tonight, though there's no word if the team is looking to sign him (Twitter link). Randolph reportedly worked out for the Heat earlier this month and has apparently spoken to at least two clubs regarding a deal.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com looks ahead to next year for the Warriors and concludes they need to get a solid third guard, a quality backup for David Lee and Andrew Bogut, and an upgrade at small forward:
- Don Nelson, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, says he's been informed he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas. Nelson coached the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavs after a playing career spent mostly with the Celtics. The official announcement of the 2012 Hall class will come Monday.
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com takes a look at stars who've changed teams in recent years and says what's happened to them since should be a cautionary tale to Dwight Howard and others who could be looking to make a move (Insider link).
- A year after the Jazz parted ways with Jerry Sloan in the wake of a rift between the coach and Deron Williams, new coach Tyrone Corbin has established rapport with his players, which has been key to the team's playoff push this year, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- The Nets have an open roster spot and might look to fill it after finishing tonight's 100-84 victory over the Pacers with only eight healthy players, as the Associated Press reports, via The New York Times. Centers Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams went down, so if those two are to miss any time, the team may target a big man.
- Rookie Malcolm Lee is adjusting to life as an NBA point guard as he finds his way into the Wolves' rotation, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Odds & Ends: Turiaf, Arenas, Lakers, Greene
Let's check in on a few Monday morning odds and ends from around the league….
- The player option included in Ronny Turiaf's deal with the Heat for next season is worth $1.2MM, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
- This week's Morning Tip column from TNT's David Aldridge examines the Bulls and the Pacers, and includes an interview with Dwight Howard.
- Although the Lakers worked out Gilbert Arenas before the veteran guard signed with the Grizzlies, it doesn't sound like L.A. was ever close to adding him, as coach Mike Brown tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times: "Unless something gets real close or it might not even get close, I'm not always involved with the process. It never got to a point where they wanted my opinion on it or said we're not going to do it because of this or that."
- Facing free agency this summer, Kings forward Donte Greene just has a few more weeks to prove his value, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fields questions on the Pistons' draft and free agent outlook in his latest mailbag.
Northwest Notes: Petrie, Rubio, Crawford
The Northwest Division is home to five playoff contenders, but it could boast only one playoff team in the end. The last-place Blazers are within three and a half games of the final postseason berth, but if the playoffs began today, only the first-place Thunder and the Nuggets, who would be the No. 7 seed, would qualify. Here's the buzz from around the Northwest:
- While a report came out earlier today suggesting Kings GM Geoff Petrie was about to sign a new deal with the team, co-owner Gavin Maloof said that's not the case, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. In a separate story, Jones passes along that Petrie says his job status for next season is the "last thing on my mind."
- The discovery of a torn LCL will not affect the timetable of Ricky Rubio's return, according to an Associated Press story published on ESPN.com. The six to nine month timetable, however, suggests Rubio may not be ready for the start of next season. However, Wolves GM David Kahn is optimistic he'll recover in time for 2012/13.
- In a Q&A with Brendan Bowers of Slam magazine (hat tip to Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge), Jamal Crawford says he was surprised he wasn't among the exodus at the trade deadline in Portland. Crawford also asserts he had nothing to do with any uprising against former coach Nate McMillan, citing a connection that dates back to when Crawford was 16 years old.
Pacific Notes: Smith, Sessions, Hickson, Kings
Jason Smith's flagrant foul on Blake Griffin last night didn't sit well with the Clippers and will almost certainly result in a suspension for the Hornets big man. However, ESPN.com's Marc Stein writes that the Clippers might owe Smith a thank you for his role in December's Chris Paul saga.
According to Stein, Smith rejected a sign-and-trade offer that would have made him part of the original three-way Paul trade between the Hornets, Rockets, and Lakers for salary purposes. While David Stern could have ultimately nixed the proposed Paul-to-the-Lakers deal regardless of Smith's involvement, the 26-year-old may have played a small part in Paul eventually heading to L.A.'s other team.
Here are a few more Friday odds and ends out of the Pacific Division:
- Some of Ramon Sessions' new teammates expect him to decline his 2012/13 player option, says Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times. Sessions' agent Jared Karnes says no decision has been made yet, but that his client was excited to have joined the Lakers: "It's a great fit for Ramon and when it's appropriate, we'll discuss his future and make a decision."
- J.J. Hickson was dressed in Warriors gear, preparing to shoot around with the team, when he found out he'd been claimed off waivers by the Trail Blazers, writes Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- Kings coach Keith Smart discussed Terrence Williams' potential role with the team, and said the decision on when Tyreke Evans would return to the starting lineup is in Evans' hands. Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee has the details.
Management Rumors: Bird, Grunfeld, Petrie
We've got plenty of rumors and notes today involving coaches, GMs, and team presidents, so let's round them all up in one place:
- Pacers president Larry Bird is set to retire at season's end, reports Peter Vecsey of the New York Post. Speaking to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Bird denied that he'd made a decision one way or the other yet.
- Vecsey also wrote that Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld turned down a three-year, $4.5MM extension offer, but Michael Lee of the Washington Post says that's not true. One source told Lee the report was "made up," while multiple sources said Grunfeld has not been offered an extension.
- "Word has it" that Kings president Geoff Petrie will sign a new deal soon, according to Vecsey. So far, Petrie hasn't refuted this one.
- Amidst rumors that Vinny Del Negro is on the hot seat in Los Angeles, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Del Negro is miscast coaching the current Clippers squad. Arnovitz cites a "profound disparity" between the pre-Chris Paul and post-Chris Paul goals for the Clippers, and argues that the team may need a new coach for its new era. For his part, Del Negro refuted reports that suggested he'd lost the team.
- Recently retired T.J. Ford will become a volunteer assistant coach for the Spurs' D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros, says Kevin Robbins of the Austin American-Statesman.
Blazers Claim J.J. Hickson Off Waivers
5:44pm: The Oregonian's Joe Freeman claims (via Twitter) that the Blazers will waive Mehmet Okur to clear a roster spot for Hickson. The forward is in the final year of his contract and is making $2.3MM this season, meaning he fits into the trade exception the Blazers acquired from Houston in the Marcus Camby trade last week. Hickson will be a restricted free agent this summer.
5:15pm: SI.com's Sam Amick tweets that the Trail Blazers have been awarded free agent forward J.J. Hickson through the waiver process.
Hickson, who was bought out by the Kings on Monday, was previously expected to sign with the Warriors provided he cleared waivers.
The Blazers have a full 15-man roster, meaning they will have to cut a player to make room for Hickson.
Kings Sign Terrence Williams To 10-Day Contract
The Kings have officially signed Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. Williams was waived by the Rockets last Friday.
Williams chose to sign in Sacramento because he prefers the opportunity to play rather than sit on a contender's bench, says J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today (via Twitter). Falgoust adds that Keith Smart's open-court style also appeals to the former lottery pick (Twitter link).
Williams, 24, was drafted by the Nets in 2009 and traded to the Rockets last season. In his three seasons, the former Louisville Cardinal has averaged 7.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 111 career games (20.1 MPG).
The Kings already had an open roster spot, and cleared another by buying out J.J. Hickson, so they won't need to make a move to clear room for Williams. SI.com's Sam Amick first tweeted that the Kings would sign the ex-Rocket.
Kings Buy Out J.J. Hickson
J.J. Hickson has received a buyout from the Kings, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Hickson was in the final year of his rookie contract, earning just $2.35MM, so the savings for Sacramento will be minimal.
For contenders in need of size, Hickson could be an intriguing pickup. After averaging 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in Cleveland last year, the 6'9" forward was dealt to the Kings for Omri Casspi and a first-round pick. His time in Sacramento was a disappointment — his averages slipped to 4.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG, and he eventually fell out of the rotation, appearing in just two games in March. But perhaps a change of scenery could put him back on the right track.
The Celtics reportedly discussed Hickson with the Kings before the trade deadline, so they figure to have interest again. The Heat have also been seeking frontcourt help, though they'd probably prefer a true center. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), we'll have to see if Hickson clears waivers first. Given his low salary and potential upside, it's possible he'll be claimed.
Teams With Open Roster Spots
After the flurry of trades, signings, and releases around the league in the last week, it's gotten challenging to keep track which clubs still have the flexibility to make roster moves. To make things a little easier, here's our list of teams who currently have fewer than the maximum 15 players on their rosters, and could add a player without releasing anyone:
- 76ers: 14
- Bulls: 14. When Mike James' second 10-day contract expires, the Bulls will have two open roster spots. They also reportedly have some interest in Leon Powe.
- Clippers: 14. The Clips are still deciding whether to sign Bobby Simmons for the rest of the season with their final roster spot.
- Grizzlies: 13. Memphis is looking at Gilbert Arenas for one of its openings.
- Heat: 14. Miami could fill its final roster spot with a player who is bought out of his contract this week.
- Hornets: 13. 14th man Jeff Foote just had his 10-day contract expire.
- Jazz: 14
- Kings: 14
- Lakers: 14
- Pacers: 14
- Pistons: 14
- Raptors: 13
- Rockets: 14. Houston will open up a second roster spot when Derek Fisher clears waivers.
- Spurs: 13. San Antonio is expecting to add Patrick Mills with one of its open roster spots. Even if the Spurs finalize Mills' deal, they'll still have a pair of open spots after Eric Dawson's second 10-day deal expires.
- Suns: 13
- Warriors: 13
- Wizards: 14. 14th man Edwin Ubiles is on a 10-day contract.
Note: The Nets currently have 15 players on their roster, but will open up a spot when Jerry Smith's 10-day contract expires.