Odds & Ends: Barbosa, Heat, Mavericks, Maloofs
Odds and ends for Wednesday afternoon….
- Leandro Barbosa has switched agents and is now represented by Dan Fegan, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter). The Raptors guard, who is eligible for free agency at season's end, told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun the change was "just business" (Twitter link).
- In a Heat mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel fields questions on the Nuggets' Chris Andersen and potential buyout candidates.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com answered questions on trade scenarios and draft prospects in an afternoon chat.
- In two pieces for ESPNDallas.com, Tim MacMahon talks to Mavericks players about not getting caught up in the business side of the NBA, and asks why Dallas wouldn't consider buying out Lamar Odom.
- The Maloof brothers have become heroes in Sacramento again for the first time in years, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Kings To Remain In Sacramento
A "framework of an agreement" to keep the Kings in Sacramento has been reached, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson told reporters, including SI.com's Sam Amick (Twitter link). Johnson added, "It's game over, so our community should be really excited" (Twitter link).
Negotiations on Sacramento's $387MM arena proposal had been ongoing in Orlando over All-Star weekend, in anticipation of a March 1st deadline. According to Amick (via Twitter), the Maloof brothers, who own the Kings, have agreed to contribute $73MM in the deal. Amick also says the Maloofs will also pay a 5% surcharge on all tickets when the new arena opens in 2015, which will eventually add an additional $60MM to their contribution (Twitter link). According to Joe Maloof, those figures are slightly off — he tells Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee that the Maloofs' contributions will consist of $75MM now and $75MM later through ticket sales (Twitter link).
The agreement means that cities like Anaheim and Seattle, who are hoping to land an NBA team, will have to wait for another opportunity to arise. David Stern has repeatedly said he doesn't anticipate expanding the league within North America, so a franchise would have to be relocated for Anaheim or Seattle to be in play.
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Gasol, Kings
Peter Vecsey, in the same column in which he revealed the Knicks as potential suitors for Dwight Howard, hears that the Bucks are "definitely open to offers" for Andrew Bogut, who's currently out with a fractured left ankle. He also says the rumored signing of Rasheed Wallace by the Lakers lends credibility to the idea that the team could send Pau Gasol to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal. Here's the rest of what's being whispered around All-Star weekend.
- Restricted free agent Wilson Chandler's Chinese team has been eliminated from the playoffs, and he's expecting FIBA clearance soon, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Yesterday we noted that Chandler's clearance has been delayed. He's been a target of the Nuggets, his former team, and the Raptors of late.
- A meeting today between Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, the Maloof brothers and league officials could be make-or-break for the city's hopes to keep the Kings, writes Sacramento Bee columnist Ailene Voisin.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves into the finer points of the lockout negotiations, and notes how close the league came to canceling the entire season.
- Celtics team president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers must turn into salesmen to attract top free agent talent to Boston as the team looks to replace its aging core, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- To get the Hornets to trade Chris Kaman to the Heat, it would take Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, a price Miami is unwilling to pay, observes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Swingman Mike Dunleavy, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM free-agent deal with the Bucks this past offseason, is getting comfortable in what was already familiar territory in Wisconsin, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It's worth noting, though, that Dunleavy's dad is part of what's reportedly the leading potential ownership group for the Hornets.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside chronicles the fall of one-time top prospect Reeves Nelson.
- Fred Kerber of the New York Post looks at how free-agent-to-be Deron Williams is showcasing his talents with little help in New Jersey.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Bryant, Clippers
With Andrew Bynum conceding the fact that he is not a sneaker guy while also making demands for the ball late in the game, let's take a look around the rest of the Pacific Division to see what else is going on:
- The city of Sacramento and the NBA continue to make progress toward reaching a financing deal for a new arena, reports Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee. The topic of discussion for today has been agreeing on what the Maloof family, the owners of the Kings, should be contributing monetarily to the project. While Saturday's talks have extended beyond the expected two hour meeting and delayed a press conference on the arena discussions, USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust reports (via Twitter) that the Kings are going to be asked to provide between $70MM and $90MM to help fund the arena.
- After skipping out on Friday's All-Star media availability due to illness, Lakers star Kobe Bryant met with the press on Saturday and discussed Dwight Howard's uncertain future. Bryant conceded that there has been a sense of awkwardness surrounding Howard's situation during All-Star Weekend in Orlando, but also empathized with how he perceives Howard must be feeling, writes Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com. "He just wants his team [to win]… with players, sometimes there's a certain level of frustration when we don't feel like we're moving in the right direction."
- The Clippers' trade to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul just prior to the start of the season has done wonders for the franchise both on and off the court, says Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Not only does the team occupy the top spot in the Pacific, the Clippers are also selling out all of their home games, have doubled their regional television ratings and seen merchandise sales sky-rocket since Paul's arrival.
Odds & Ends: Cousins, Lakers, Bobcats, Draft
Links from around the league as All-Star Weekend gets underway in Orlando….
- Speaking to reporters in Orlando, including Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, Andrew Bynum had some strong words regarding DeMarcus Cousins and Sacramento: "It’s terrible that he has to play in Sacramento. He could take his talents somewhere and really help a team" (Twitter links). For his part, Cousins doesn't seem to mind Sacramento, having said earlier this week that he hopes to remain with the Kings long-term.
- As he tells Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times, Derek Fisher knows the Lakers' roster may undergo some changes soon: "With the trade deadline looming, personnel can change, if that's what ownership or management decides. But if this is our team I think we're getting a better feel for who we are and what we're capable of doing."
- Bobcats GM Rich Cho tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that he's not panicking or rushing the team's rebuilding process. Cho identifies the Thunder, who went through some growing pains when Cho was a part of their front office, as a team whose patience in rebuilding paid off. Of course, if Charlotte can strike gold in the draft like Oklahoma City did with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, it would go a long way toward improving the team's outlook.
- Speaking of the draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider-only link) says a 2012 draft class that once looked stacked is starting to show some cracks. While Anthony Davis remains locked in at the top of draft boards, the players behind him have some question marks.
- Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman thinks the Thunder's win last night over the Lakers is the latest example of last year's acquisition of Kendrick Perkins paying off.
Teams With Cap Space
Earlier this morning, we heard that the Pacers are exploring the trade market in search of a roster addition or two. Indiana is in a unique situation, with an incredible amount of cap space and no obligation to spend to reach the minimum cap requirements. While the Pacers' current cap figure falls well short of the minimum required team salary (85% of the cap), James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary counts for floor purposes, so the Pacers can stand pat if they so choose.
Although no other club has nearly the cap room Indiana does this season, there are a handful of under-the-cap teams who could make a move without having to use a mid-level or trade exception. Let's run through them, from the team with the most cap space (Indiana) to the least (Houston).
Indiana Pacers
Approximate cap space: $14.27MM
I don't expect the Pacers to make any moves for players under contract past this season. Indiana has a number of players on rookie scale contracts who will start to get more expensive over the next couple years, so the team won't want to chew up future cap space unless it can land a young, talented player. A rental player on an expiring contract is more likely, and I still think Indiana makes sense as the most likely destination for Chris Kaman.
Sacramento Kings
Approximate cap space: $9.43MM
While the Kings have a relatively affordable squad, they don't have quite the same flexibility the Pacers do. With nearly all its players under contract through next season, Sacramento is poised to increase its cap figure significantly this summer if it hopes to sign its lottery pick and hang onto restricted free agents like Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson, and Donte Greene. Between the Kings' lack of expiring deals and its spot near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, I don't think we'll see Sacramento taking advantage of its cap space this season. The Kings need to add about $723K to reach the minimum salary requirement, but that amount is minimal enough that they may simply accept the end-of-season surcharge.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Approximate cap space: $7.21MM
Here's an interesting case. While it's widely assumed Cleveland will be looking to trade players like Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions this March, I'm not sure that'll be the case. The team has talked repeatedly about wanting to gain playoff experience, and as the current ninth seed in the East, it's not out of the realm of possibility. With Jamison's salary coming off the books this summer, the Cavs could afford to add a player who is under contract past this season and still have a ton of cap space in future seasons. If the Cavs can find a player that helps them this season and isn't too expensive going forward, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the trigger.
Toronto Raptors
Approximate cap space: $4.3MM
While the Raptors would probably love to use this cap room to sign Wilson Chandler to an offer sheet, any contract they offered Chandler could easily be matched by the Nuggets. If the Raptors make moves before the deadline, they're more likely to become sellers, gaining even more cap room to take advantage of this summer.
Washington Wizards
Approximate cap space: $2.17MM
Like the Raptors, the out-of-contention Wizards will be looking for deals that create even more cap space. They almost certainly won't use their remaining cap room to acquire anyone.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Approximate cap space: $1.2MM
Golden State Warriors
Approximate cap space: $813K
Houston Rockets
Approximate cap space: $777K
These three teams consider themselves playoff contenders, and should all be active on the trade market, trying to upgrade their rosters. However, their cap space isn't significant enough to play a major role in any trades.
Latest On Sacramento Arena Proposal
Yesterday, it was reported that the talks for a new arena for the Kings in Sacramento were making progress. However, NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper (via Twitter) shed some new light on the state of the talks that was slightly less optimistic. Here are the important points:
- Howard-Cooper characterizes the talks as "too close to call" as to whether a deal will get done by the March 1 deadline.
- David Stern does not believe that the Maloof brothers' financial stability will be an obstacle in the arena talks, refuting a previous report.
- There is a belief among some NBA officials that the deal could fall short, leading to the Kings' eventual departure from Sacramento.
Pacific Notes: Nash, Lakers, Kings
In the 2005/06 season, the Clippers finished 47-35, topping their L.A. rivals by two games. Since then, the Lakers have finished ahead of the Clippers in the standings every season, but the two teams are in a neck-and-neck race for the Pacific Division crown this year. The Clippers will head into the All-Star break with a slight lead, as even a win for the Lakers in Oklahoma City tonight would only reduce the Clips' lead to a half-game. Here are a few afternoon links out of the Pacific:
- At the end of his midseason awards, Ken Berger of CBS Sports names Stephen Jackson the "most disgruntled" player and Steve Nash the "most likely to be traded." The Nash note is interesting, since it still appears the Suns have no intention of dealing Nash unless he asks out. Presumably, Berger believes that's a real possibility.
- Magic Johnson continues to weigh in on the Lakers, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times writes. In addition to suggesting a meeting between Kobe Bryant and Jim Buss, Magic also said the team needs to make "one or two trades" before the deadline.
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee continues to hear that the threat to the Kings staying in Sacramento comes from Anaheim rather than Seattle. Seattle is years away from opening the doors on a new building and would need to find someone willing to sell a franchise.
- Earlier this afternoon, we looked at the Warriors' asking price for Monta Ellis.
Sacramento Arena Deal Making Progress
The latest news out of Sacramento suggests the Kings shouldn't pack their bags for Seattle just yet. According to a report from Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee, the NBA and the city of Sacramento are calling conversations surrounding arena negotiations constructive as they released a joint statement on Wednesday. The two parties have crafted a two-week timeline with hopes of finalizing a financing plan for a new arena before the league-mandated deadline of March 1.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA Commissioner David Stern said that they, along with their negotiating teams, will continue to work on a deal even with the NBA's All-Star Weekend set to begin Friday in Orlando. As such, a planned city council hearing scheduled for February 28 was moved to March 6 in order to give the council an ample amount of time to digest a proposal before voting. If an agreement is reached by the deadline, both sides expect to make a public announcement on that day.
The projected cost of constructing the new arena is set to run the city of Sacramento and the Kings organization a total of $387MM. While the majority of the cost will be funded publicly, the city of Sacramento expects the Kings to contribute at least $85MM to the completion of the project. The Kings anticipate receiving $50MM from likely arena operator AEG, which the team hopes to use toward fulfilling their financial obligation toward arena construction. There is no word on whether the city of Sacramento has signed off on such an arrangement.
David Stern Talks Hornets, Chris Paul, Kings
NBA commissioner David Stern sat down with TNT's David Aldridge for an interview that touched upon the state of some of the league's franchises, free agency, Stern's future, and much more. It's worth watching the whole conversation at NBA.com, but here are a few of the highlights:
- The list of prospective buyers for the Hornets has been narrowed to two, with "one in the lead." Stern hopes to finalize a deal within the next couple weeks.
- An agreement with the state of Louisiana on the team and arena is close, and Stern says he expects to get a "very fair" contribution from the state on the lease, which won't have an out clause.
- Stern defended his preseason decision on Chris Paul by explaining that he was acting as the Hornets owner rather than as the NBA commissioner when he decided not to sign off on the trade that would've sent Paul to the Lakers. He says he'll continue to operate in the same way until a new owner is in place.
- The Kings have agreed to put money toward the financing plan for Sacramento's new arena, though Stern didn't specify how much. He added that any contribution by AEG, the probable arena operator, would be seen as a team contribution as well.