Southwest Notes: Spurs, Rockets, Barea
After Saturday’s Game 7 loss to the Clippers, thoughts quickly turned to the Spurs‘ future, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Specifically, the questions were about Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and whether this was the final game of their long NBA careers. Duncan dismissed questions on the topic, saying, “I’m not making any statements.” Ginobili was a little more open. “I don’t want to make a decision after being a disappointment in a game like this,” he said. “So I’ll have a lot of time. I will sit with my family and try to evaluate what happened during the season, how I feel and if I am ready to go at it again. I guess the Spurs are going to have to make a decision, too, and see what they want to do.”
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- GM R.C. Buford said the Spurs will give Duncan, Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich plenty of time to ponder their future, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We’re not going to rush them,” he said. “They’ll have time to talk amongst themselves, and we’ll have time to listen to what they’re saying and act accordingly.” Along with Duncan and Ginobili, San Antonio has seven other players who will become free agents in July. That list includes starters Kawhi Leonard, who will be restricted, and Danny Green, who is unrestricted.
- Two huge moves in December turned the Rockets into a team that could win in the playoffs, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Within seven days, the team reached a deal with the Wolves for Corey Brewer and signed Josh Smith after he was waived by the Pistons. They improved the team’s bench, tightened its defense and brought a veteran presence to Houston for the postseason. “If we don’t have Brew and Josh come to our team, we’re not here right now, doing this,” coach Kevin McHale said. “Those two guys have been fantastic for us.” Smith will be a free agent this summer; Brewer has a player option worth $4.9MM.
- Free agent J.J. Barea hopes his future is with the Mavericks, writes Tim Cato of mavsmoneyball.com. “It feels like home for me here in Dallas,” Barea said, “so hopefully I can come back and finish my career here for the next couple years.”
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gave an early indication that he will return next season, along with free agents Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Responding to a question shortly after San Antonio’s Game 7 loss to the Clippers Saturday night, Popovich said, “We’ll probably come back. The paycheck’s pretty good.” Duncan refused to answer two questions about returning, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Ginobili was also vague about retiring, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I don’t know, it could happen,” he said. “But I’m not going to make that decision now.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Rajon Rondo still has all-star talent, but he was a terrible fit in the Mavericks‘ system, argues Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. In his post-season report card, the columnist gives Rondo an F for his time in Dallas, but says finding a point guard to replace him won’t be easy. Sefko also expects Charlie Villanueva to get a much bigger contract next season and said the team needs to spend to keep Tyson Chandler.
- The “Grandpas” have become key playoff contributors for the Rockets, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. That’s James Harden‘s nickname for point guards Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni, both 37, who have seen increased playing time since a wrist injury to starter Patrick Beverley. Terry came to Houston in September in a little-noticed trade with Sacramento. Prigioni was acquired in a deadline deal with the Knicks. “They’ve done a great job seriously of doing everything right, defensive schemes, knocking down shots, being vocal leaders, going out there and being ready every single night and it’s carried us every single night,” Harden said. Terry will be a free agent in July; Prigioni is scheduled to make $1.7MM next season, but only $440K of that is guaranteed.
- The Pelicans should try to re-sign Omer Asik, but at a price far less than the $14.8MM he earned this season, contends John Reid of The Times-Picayune. If they can’t agree to terms with the free agent center, Reid recommends pursuing Blazers’ free agent Robin Lopez, who made nearly $6.125MM this season. Reid also advises trying to reach a new deal with backup center Alexis Ajinca.
Latest On LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge is indeed thinking of signing with the Spurs or Mavericks, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears, advancing his report from last week that those two teams believe they have a shot to lure him back to his native Texas. San Antonio is “near or at” the top of the Arn Tellem client‘s list, Stein writes, though he suggests the Cavaliers would come into the picture if Kevin Love were to somehow depart and the Cavs found a way to sign-and-trade for Aldridge. Stein reiterates that the Knicks and Lakers plan to go after Aldridge as well. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSSNE.com named the Blazers power forward as one of many marquee free agents the Celtics are expected to pursue this summer.
Aldridge spoke of an “amazing” nine years in Portland and said he’s “not trying to have that end” in a season-ending media session Thursday. It nonetheless seems as if more executives around the league believe that the former No. 2 overall pick will leave Portland in free agency this summer than think he’ll re-sign as he pledged to do last summer, according to Stein. Aldridge, who turns 30 this summer, said “we’ll see” when ESPN’s Chris Broussard asked him recently if the Blazers remained the front-runners for him, Stein notes. Aldridge first seemed to hint at dissatisfaction when he reflected to Michael Lee of The Washington Post on a time when he felt the Blazers didn’t support him, and he told Lee that he wondered how easily the team could move on without him.
Some Blazers observers think Damian Lillard‘s growing stature on the team bothers Aldridge, according to Stein. Still, Lillard, who’s reportedly insisting on a max extension this summer, has said he believes Aldridge will be back. Some Blazers are worried that Aldridge will leave, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick reported, and one of them told Quick a few weeks ago that he thought it was a 50-50 proposition whether the All-Star power forward would re-sign.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Lakers, Lee
If the Clippers fail to advance in the playoffs, the team’s lack of depth will be the culprit, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles opines. Markazi blames president of basketball operations Doc Rivers for signing Spencer Hawes with the full mid-level exception. Markazi believes signing Paul Pierce to give the team more depth on the wing would have been a better use of the franchise’s resources.
There’s more from the Pacific Division on a playoff Sunday:
- Rivers said he used the Spurs as his model when he came to the Clippers, Markazi writes in a separate story. He said he has tried to build a relationship with GM Dave Wohl similar to the one between San Antonio head coach and president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford. “Clearly you would love to build what they have,” Rivers said. “It means that you’re going to do it for a time. We have a long way to go, but that would be nice.”
- The presence of Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson on the roster shouldn’t preclude the Lakers from selecting a point guard or power forward in this year’s draft, opines Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Ford recalls the Blazers passing on the chance to take Chris Paul and Deron Williams because the team thought it had a long-term piece in Sebastian Telfair. Ford believes the Lakers’ best option is to take the top player available rather than drafting for need, due to the lack of talent on the roster.
- The Warriors are hoping David Lee will be ready for the second round of the playoffs, writes Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group. Lee, who missed the entire first-round series against the Pelicans with a strained back, knows the Warriors will need all the front-line help they can get if they’re matched up with the rugged Grizzlies. “It’s a team that plays big and that we’re going to need every big on the roster ready to go, myself included,” he said.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Howard, Leonard
It’s possible that Raymond Felton and Richard Jefferson have played their last game with the Mavericks, according to Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Both are listed as questionable for Game 4 of their series with the Rockets after leaving Game 3 early. Felton is battling a sore hamstring, and Jefferson has a calf injury. “I believe that Felton is probably going to be able to play,” coach Rick Carlisle said after today’s practice. “Jefferson is getting a lot of treatment so we will check on him tomorrow.” Felton has a player option for nearly $4MM next season, while Jefferson is on a one-year deal worth more than $1.4MM. The Rockets have a 3-0 lead in the series.
There’s more from the Southwest Division on a playoff weekend:
- After more than two months of battling knee problems, the Rockets‘ Dwight Howard looks like himself again, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Swelling in his right knee cost Howard a huge chunk of the regular season. He was able to return late in the year, but was on a strict minutes restriction. However, he has put up huge numbers in the playoffs, including a 26-rebound performance in Friday’s Game 3. “I think he’s getting comfortable with what he’s doing and playing well,” said coach Kevin McHale, “and he’s got great energy and his leg looks great, fantastic.” The Rockets are hoping to find playoff success with Howard, who has an opt-out clause after the 2015/16 season.
- The presence of Kawhi Leonard means the Spurs’ future is secure, contends Scott Cacciola of The New York Times. The 23-year-old, who was named Defensive Player of the Year this week, celebrated Friday by torching the Clippers for 32 points in Game 3 of their playoff series. Leonard can become a restricted free agent this summer, but is considered virtually certain to remain in San Antohio.
- Rookie Fuquan Edwin will join the Pelicans’ summer league team, according to Enea Trapani of Sportando. Edwin has signed to play in Venezuela with Guaros de Lara. He spent this season with Sioux Falls in the D-League, averaging 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Kawhi Leonard Unlikely To Pursue Offer Sheets
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, doesn’t intend to pursue offer sheets from other teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. San Antonio would have the right to match any offer sheet that the young forward were to sign, provided they tender him a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683, which the franchise is almost assuredly going to do.
Leonard had previously spoken about his free agent plans, saying, “I feel like they like me here and I’m going to come back, but we’ll see. We’re going to see this summer.” The talented forward may require surgery this offseason to repair the torn ligament in his right hand, but that likely won’t have any bearing on his contract negotiations given his youth and skill level.
For his part, Leonard wants to remain with San Antonio, and the Spurs are expected to reach out to the 23-year-old on July 1st with a maximum salary offer, Wojnarowski relays. The franchise resisted offering Leonard a contract extension last offseason, which was by design, so that the Spurs could preserve cap space for this summer, the Yahoo! scribe adds. The Spurs hope to add another star free agent this offseason. LaMarcus Aldridge has already been reported to be a prime target of the organization, should he choose to leave Portland as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Marc Gasol has also been reported as a potential free agent target as well. San Antonio’s offseason strategy still hinges on whether or not Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili return for another run, or one or both call it a career and retire.
The low-key Leonard said he wasn’t perturbed by the team holding off on signing him to an extension. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere,” Leonard said. “I mean they love me here. I like the organization, and if it was up to me, I want to finish out with one team like a lot of great players have done, to stay with one organization their whole career and just be loyal to that. You never know. We’ll see what happens next summer, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be in a Spurs jersey for my whole life.
The 2014/15 Defensive Player of the Year appeared in 64 games this season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. In his four NBA seasons, the 6’7″ forward out of San Diego State has notched career averages of 12.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Leonard’s career slash line is .496/.368/.802.
Southwest Notes: Rondo, Parsons, Leonard
The Mavs‘ Chandler Parsons indicated that he might not be ready for the start of training camp next season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com tweets. Parsons is out for the remainder of the playoffs with an injured knee that will require surgery to repair, and the estimated recovery time won’t be known until after the procedure has been performed, Sneed notes. The forward just completed the first season of the three-year, $46.08MM deal he signed last offseason.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The trade for Rajon Rondo was a high risk, high reward move that failed miserably for the Mavericks, Mark Followill of The Dallas Morning News writes. Dallas needed to acquire more All-Star level talent to compete in the Western Conference, but Rondo was clearly not the same player physically that he was prior to his knee injury, Followill notes.
- Reflecting back on the Spurs‘ decision to draft Kawhi Leonard back in 2011, GM R.C. Buford knew he was a raw player, but Leonard’s potential was evident from the beginning, Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “I don’t know that we were trying to anticipate a best-case scenario,” Buford said. “We needed a small forward that came with a defensive mentality, that would complement the skill sets of the guys we had. But there also needed to be a lot of growth and development to fit into that.” Leonard can become a restricted free agent this summer if San Antonio tenders him a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683, which it almost assuredly will do.
- Rondo is just another in a long line of veteran players whose reputations have been destroyed after a stint with the Mavs, Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM writes. Dallas has tried to shoehorn in a number of players over the years who were poor fits for the team’s roster and system, a practice that needs to cease if the team wishes to contend in the West once again, Tjarks notes. The RealGM scribe cites Lamar Odom, Darren Collison, Delonte West, O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman as previous examples of this pattern.
Spurs, Mavs Believe They Can Lure Aldridge
FRIDAY, 8:28am: Two executives told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com last month that there was a belief among some around the league that Aldridge would consider the Knicks as well as the Spurs this summer.
2:03pm: All options are on the table for Aldridge this summer, including a departure from the Blazers, a source familiar with his free agency strategy told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The source also said to Berger that he wouldn’t be surprised if the All-Star signed with a Texas team.
THURSDAY, 8:59am: The Spurs and Mavs believe they can convince LaMarcus Aldridge to sign with them in free agency this summer, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Both teams are planning aggressive pursuits of the Blazers power forward, and the Knicks and Lakers will go after him, too, Stein also says. It’s the latest ominous news for Portland’s hopes of keeping the No. 4 player in our Free Agent Power Rankings, in spite of his insistence last summer and before the season that he intends to re-sign, and the Blazers have their “work cut out” for them if they’re to retain their star, as Stein puts it.
A Blazers teammate who spoke with The Oregonian’s Jason Quick earlier this month cast it as a 50-50 proposition that the Arn Tellem client would be back with the Blazers. Quick noted that Aldridge feels as though the franchise is behind him, but the veteran of nine NBA seasons, all of them in Portland, recently expounded to Michael Lee of The Washington Post on times when he didn’t sense that sort of support from the Blazers. The Blazers have been “very, very scared” that Aldridge will leave, as one rival executive said to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News in February, though that executive chalked the team’s feeling up to paranoia.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News first reported in November that Dallas planned to target the native of nearby Seagoville, Texas, while Grantland’s Zach Lowe has consistently heard chatter vaguely linking Aldridge to San Antonio. The big man praised Knicks president Phil Jackson and the city of New York and said that he thought he’d be a fit for the triangle upon prompting from New York media at the All-Star Game. There hasn’t been much connecting Aldridge to the Lakers, besides a report from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders indicating that the prospect of the former No. 2 overall pick winding up in purple-and-gold was a long shot. Still, Aldridge makes sense for a Lakers team with plenty of cap flexibility and an ever-present desire to chase star free agents.
The same can be said for the Knicks, and the Mavs have max-level flexibility, too, though the team’s apparent willingness to move on from Rajon Rondo will help Dallas clear the cap space necessary to put a max offer in front of Aldridge. The Spurs have a more complicated path as long as Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili decide they want to return, but having decided against a lucrative extension for Kawhi Leonard this past fall gives the Spurs a chance to clear max cap room. His cap hold remains just slightly more than $7.235MM until San Antonio signs him to a new deal or matches an offer sheet for him.
Kawhi Leonard Wins Defensive Player Of Year
Kawhi Leonard has won the Defensive Player of the Year award, the league announced via press release. He nipped fellow soon-to-be restricted free agent Draymond Green by just 16 points in the tally that gives five points for first-place votes, three points for second-place votes and one point for third-place votes. Green earned eight more first-place votes from the media members who cast the ballots, but he fell just shy of the honor. DeAndre Jordan wasn’t far behind, finishing third, and he’s about to go into free agency, too.
Leonard only played in 64 games thanks in large measure to an injury to his right hand, but he made up for lost time in the second half of the season, furthering his case as a future star worthy of a max deal this summer. He led the league with 2.3 steals per game, even with the ailing hand, and the Spurs were 5.1 points per 100 possessions better when Leonard was on the floor compared when he wasn’t this season, according to NBA.com. The 23-year-old trailed only Andrew Bogut, who finished sixth in the voting, in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus metric, though he was just ninth in Basketball-Reference’s Defensive Box Plus/Minus.
Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich has referred to Leonard as a “coach’s dream,” and the team would be expected to match any offer sheet he might sign this summer. The failure of the sides to come to terms on an extension this past fall seemingly had more to do with San Antonio’s desire to preserve cap flexibility to go after marquee names like LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol as I explained earlier.
Fourth-place finisher Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Tony Allen and Tim Duncan were the others to receive first-place votes. The full listing of each media ballot is available right here.
Southwest Notes: Rondo, Parsons, Anderson
Mavs point guard Rajon Rondo has been ruled out indefinitely due to an injured back, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. This announcement comes after Rondo only played 34 seconds in the second half of Tuesday night’s loss to the Rockets. When asked after the game if Rondo was benched due to his injury, coach Rick Carlisle said, “You can ask him that question. All I know, right now, is that we need everybody at their competitive best. This isn’t about one guy who did or didn’t play. This is about everybody pulling in the same direction for the organization,” Vernon Bryant of The Dallas Morning News relays. Rondo is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it’s growing increasingly doubtful that he’ll return to Dallas next season.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Mavs‘ path to the second round of the playoffs has gotten even more difficult. In addition to the loss of Rondo, Chandler Parsons is out for the remainder of the playoffs with an injured knee, the team announced in a press release. Parsons is expected to explore surgical options to correct the issue, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets.
- The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from the Austin Spurs, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In the 2015 D-League Playoffs, Anderson averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in five appearances.
- Since being acquired by the Pelicans in February, Norris Cole has become a mentor to Anthony Davis, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. The veteran point guard also has a wealth of playoff experience from his time in Miami, a valuable asset for such a young squad, Haberstroh adds. “It’s all in the preparation.” Cole said. “I try to tell the guys, it’s all in the preparation. As long as you prepare, which I believe we are, we give ourselves a good chance to win and go out there and compete and fight.”
- One Spurs official estimates that there is a 55% chance that Manu Ginobili will retire at season’s end, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Other members of San Antonio’s front office believe that Ginobili’s future will depend on the outcome of this season’s playoffs, and that if the Spurs are ousted early the veteran guard would return for another campaign, Harvey adds.