Ray Allen Rumors: Monday
Ray Allen plans a decision about his NBA future after this week’s All-Star break, as Brian Windhorst wrote this morning and as we passed along earlier. That time frame, while not quite specific, has nonetheless led to another batch of Allen-related news, so we’ll round it all up here, with any additional updates added to the top throughout the day:
5:59pm update:
- The Warriors haven’t heard anything new from Allen or his representatives for weeks, Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
- The Warriors remain interested and they intend on keeping their last roster spot open until he makes a decision, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link)
2:02pm update:
- Nearly every playoff-bound team has reached out to Allen, including clubs without open roster spots, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- The Warriors plan to follow up with Allen and his reps, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that nothing has changed from the team’s perspective (Twitter link). GM Bob Myers said in December that he’d reached out to Allen’s camp, though Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group indicated last month that the team had abandoned the idea. Windhorst nonetheless wrote in his story this morning that Golden State has kept in touch with the Jim Tanner client.
- Sources close to Allen emphasized to Kennedy the sharpshooter’s long-held stance that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll play at all, and the 39-year-old has yet to tell even his own reps whether he plans to return to the NBA, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington (Twitter links).
Pacific Notes: Allen, Warriors, Thomas, Corbin
The Warriors are among a group of several teams that have remained in contact with Ray Allen, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Golden State appeared to have dropped out of the Allen sweepstakes after GM Bob Myers said in December that they had reached out to him, but the Warriors are still in the mix, according to Windhorst, who adds that they felt they were close to a deal with him earlier this season. The Wizards, Cavs, Spurs, Heat and Hawks are others who’ve kept in touch with the all-time leading three-point shot-maker, Windhorst writes, adding that Allen plans to make a decision on his future after All-Star Weekend. There’s more on the Warriors amid the latest from around the Pacific Division:
- Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk indicated that the team is hesitant to make even the slightest of moves between now and the trade deadline, as Matt Steinmetz of 95.7 The Game observes after Schlenk spoke with Steinmetz and John Dickinson on “The NBA Show.” “We’ve been good for the past couple years,” Schlenk said. Maybe not championship quality but we’ve been playoff caliber. I tell [GM] Bob [Myers] all the time ‘Our job now is not to screw it up.’ When you’re sitting with the record we have, and the year we’ve had, you’d like to tinker but you don’t want to mess it up. Chemistry is such a big thing, and our group of guys has such great chemistry. We’d hate to do a move just to do a move and have it mess up our chemistry. I don’t know we’ll do anything. We’re certainly active. … But at the same time, we’ve got to be cautious as well.”
- Isaiah Thomas has chosen Excel Sports Management’s Sam Goldfeder as his new agent, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (on Twitter). The Suns guard dropped Andy Miller of ASM Sports earlier this season.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee share the sentiment that the Kings should show Tyrone Corbin respect by coming to a speedy resolution on his future (Twitter links). Sacramento is deep into talks with George Karl after GM Pete D’Alessandro earlier said that Corbin would remain the team’s head coach until season’s end.
Spurs Ink Reggie Williams To 2nd 10-Day Deal
9:45am: The signing is official, according to the team’s twitter feed.
FRIDAY, 10:53pm: The Spurs intend to sign Reggie Williams to a second 10-day contract, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). Williams’ initial 10-day deal expires tonight. If the swingman is indeed re-signed, then he will continue to occupy San Antonio’s 15th and final roster spot.
The 28-year-old was with the Heat on a training camp deal, but he failed to make the opening night roster and then caught on with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, last month. When initially inked by San Antonio, Williams had taken the place of JaMychal Green, with whom the Spurs failed to reach agreement on a new deal after his initial 10-day arrangement had expired.
In just two appearances for the Spurs this season, Williams has averaged 1.0 point in 4.0 minutes of action per contest. His career numbers through five seasons in the NBA are 8.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.6 APG. Williams’ career slash line is .459/.368/.745.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Magic, Whiteside
The Hawks have been among the NBA’s best stories this year, but Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders warns that salary considerations might tear the team apart this summer. Atlanta set the groundwork for its current success in the summer of 2013 when it signed Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll and Pero Antic to two-year contracts. All three will expire this summer, and because they are only two-year deals, the Hawks will have Early Bird Rights — not full Bird Rights — on each player. That means Atlanta can only offer four-year deals at most, instead of five years. Also, Duncan notes the offers will be limited to the higher of 175% of their current salaries or the Estimated Average Player Salary, which he expects to be around $5.7MM next season.
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Gregg Popovich downplays the notion that the Hawks are the “Spurs of the East” and tells Shaun Powell of NBA.com that former San Antonio assistant Mike Budenholzer has built a winner in Atlanta through intelligence and desire. “It’s not like he’s going to institute something new,” Popovich said. “Like, this is a new pick and roll defense that nobody has ever seen before. That’s not what wins and loses games. What wins is consistency and competitiveness. He understands all of that.”
- The Magic should pursue Billy Donovan as their next coach, argues Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel. The University of Florida coach was hired by Orlando in 2007 before changing his mind and electing to stay in the college ranks. Bianchi contends the Magic should let bygones be bygones, and cites statements from Donovan indicating he would be willing to leave Gainesville. Bianchi writes that any move should wait until after the season to see if high-profile coaches like the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau become available.
- As the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside continues his string of double-doubles, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra tells Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune that “open-mindedness” brought the big man to Miami. The Heat signed Whiteside in November, four days after he was released by the Grizzlies. “We were open-minded to him, and he was open-minded to us and our culture,” Spoelstra said. “It was good timing for both sides: We needed a big body and he needed a place that values what he does.”
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Crawford, Heat, Hornets
The Hawks have taken the league by storm this season and they can thank the Spurs for giving them the blueprint for success, writes Paul Newberry of the Associated Press. Atlanta, like San Antonio, created a team-first atmosphere in which ball movement is one of the major focuses. Point guard Jeff Teague has bought into the team’s philosophy. “I’m enjoying every minute of it,” said Teague. “We’re so unselfish. We don’t care about glory or accolades. It’s just a joy to play on a team like that.” The Hawks have won 35 out of their last 38 games and own a record of 42-9, which is the best in the entire league.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat are struggling on offense this season but the team continues to pass on adding proven scorers, like Jordan Crawford, to the roster, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Crawford, who averaged 12.2 points per game during his time in the NBA, would give the team a much needed scoring option off the bench, but concerns about the 26-year-old’s maturity have turned Miami away. The Heat are scoring 92.4 point per game this season, which is second worst in the league.
- Although the Heat have lost five out of their last six games and own a record of 21-29, which is good for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, the team remains committed to making the postseason, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “Everybody can see the potential of our young group, and they’re getting great opportunities to play, for something, for the playoffs, with our veteran core,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. If Miami finds itself outside the playoff picture, the team has motivation to lose more games because its first-round draft pick will go to the Sixers if it doesn’t fall within the top 10. The Heat have the 12th worst record in the league, as our reverse order standings show, making it unlikely that they keep their pick if they remain in this position at the end of the season.
- The Hornets continue to push for a playoff berth and veteran Jason Maxiell has been key to the team’s success during Kemba Walker‘s absence, writes Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer. Maxiell signed with Charlotte for the veteran’s minimum about a month before the start of the season and the 32-year-old has served as a mentor for the 10th youngest team in the league. The Hornets are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-27.
Hawks Trying To Woo Ray Allen
4:56pm: The Hawks have indeed had discussions with Allen’s representatives about coming to Atlanta, but nothing appears to be imminent at this time, Vivlamore tweets.
8:27am: The Hawks are trying to convince Ray Allen to consider signing with them when and if he decides to play in the NBA this season, though the Cavs remain the favorites to land the 39-year-old, tweets Ryen Russillo of ESPN Radio. Still, coach Mike Budenholzer, acting as the team’s GM in place of Danny Ferry, who’s on a leave of absence, said he’s reluctant to tinker with a roster that’s won 34 of its last 37 games, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes.
“For us to be open to improving the group and adding more depth, with Thabo [Sefolosha] healthy or without Thabo healthy or without Thabo having this injury, it’s kind of the same mindset,” Budenolzer said. “We really like our group. You are hesitant to do anything. There is a little more opportunity for a six- to eight-week window but I don’t think it changes much if at all.”
Sefolosha, who plays the same position Allen does, is about a week into a six-to-eight-week timetable for recovery from a strained calf. Still, Sefolosha plays a much different style than the sharpshooting Allen, the league’s all-time leading three-point shot-maker. The Hawks have a full roster of 15 players signed through the end of the season, as our roster counts show, so they’d have to eat someone’s salary to accommodate Allen. Still, they have slightly more than $3MM worth of cap space to throw at the Jim Tanner client, who this past summer signaled a strong desire for more than the minimum salary should he return to the NBA this season.
Cleveland only has the minimum to give, and the same is true of the Wizards, who are reportedly Allen’s most aggressive suitor. Russillo wrote in December that he’d heard that Allen would make his decision in February, though Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote last week that people around the league increasingly believe that Allen knows the team he’d like to play for, and is simply deciding whether he wants to play at all. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Bulls and Spurs are other teams linked to Allen within the past few months. The Warriors seemed to have abandoned their earlier interest.
And-Ones: Duncan, Popovich, Collison, Grizzlies
The “prevailing thought” around the league has been that Tim Duncan will retire when his contract expires after the season, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, but Gregg Popovich isn’t so sure. The coach/executive acknowledges that Duncan is liable to walk away from the game at any time, regardless of contract status, but Popovich tells Amick that he doesn’t believe Duncan will do so just yet, given his still-proficient level of play. Nonetheless, Popovich isn’t making promises about his own longevity, and while he confirmed to Amick that the extension he signed this past summer was for five years, the 66-year-old thinks he’ll retire before that time is through. Here’s more from around the league:
- The push for Nick Collison‘s extension with the Thunder came from the team’s side, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com, writing for Daily Thunder. The length of the deal for the Mike Higgins client, which runs one season past the expiration of Kevin Durant‘s contract, makes it clear that the extension is in part an enticement for Durant, who likes Collison, to stay, Young believes. It’s also a signal that the club is on board with paying the luxury tax next season, as Young explains.
- Tyrus Thomas has returned to the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies after the expiration of his 10-day contract with the franchise’s NBA club, the D-League team announced (on Twitter).
- Free agent Greg Oden reached a plea deal with prosecutors stemming from an August incident, as court documents show, according to Michael Anthony Adams of USA Today. The former No. 1 overall pick pleaded guilty to a felony battery charge and three other charges were dismissed as part of the deal, Adams writes. Oden avoided jail time in sentencing, as Adams’ report also indicates.
Western Notes: Grizzlies, Nuggets, Smith, Cooley
Sunday’s signing of JaMychal Green to a 10-day contract shows the Grizzlies aren’t afraid to gamble on inexpensive talent, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reports in a subscription-only article. “You’re basically playing the odds that you find one that hits,” Memphis GM Chris Wallace said. “If none of them hits, it’s not skin off your back. It’s a free shot.” The 24-year-old Green hit the open market after the Spurs declined to sign him to a second 10-day contract last week. He received interest from the Knicks, Bulls, Bucks and Blazers before signing with Memphis. The Grizzlies cleared a roster spot when they decided not to offer Tyrus Thomas a second 10-day contract. Thomas will join the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate in Iowa, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. (Twitter link).
There’s much more from the Western Conference:
- The Nuggets are showing fortitude by trying to make a deal for Nets center Brook Lopez, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. While there are roadblocks to getting a deal done, Dempsey feels that it’ll come down to how motivated the Nuggets are to acquire Lopez and not how desperate the Nets are to unload him.
- “Fed up” is how Ty Lawson described Nuggets coach Brian Shaw after Saturday’s 18-point loss to the Hornets, according to Nick Groke of The Denver Post. Groke believes Shaw’s job may be in jeopardy after a bad week that included a 69-point performance in Thursday’s loss to the Grizzlies. “You can tell his spirit is getting lower and lower,” Lawson said of his coach. “Just game in and game out, I guess we’re not executing the way we want to or according to the game plan.”
- Josh Smith admits he was shocked when the Pistons waived him in December, but he’s already grown comfortable with the Rockets and is high on the idea of re-signing with Houston this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports details.
- Former Jazz camp invitee Jack Cooley is again drawing NBA interest, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twitter link). The 23-year-old center, who was with the Jazz this past fall, pulled down 19 points in a recent game for Utah’s D-League affiliate, Pilato notes. It’s unclear if the Jazz are among those thinking of him for a spot on their NBA roster.
Chuck Myron and Zach Links contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Rivers, Howard, Green
JaMychal Green is going to rejoin the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest tweets. Green recently completed a single 10-day contract with the Spurs, with whom he averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in five appearances. The 24-year-old has reportedly garnered interest as a possible 10-day signee from the Grizzlies, Knicks, Bulls, Bucks and Blazers.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Austin Rivers is beginning to hit his stride with the Clippers, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. “He’s just getting comfortable and trying to figure out his spots,” Los Angeles president of basketball operations and coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re trying to get him to [be more aggressive]. He’s a guard, so he’s trying to facilitate, and we need his aggression. It was funny — C.P. [Chris Paul] grabbed him and said, ‘You can get to the basket, we need you to attack.’ He listened to him, which was good.”
- The Clippers have missed the bench production of Darren Collison, who signed with the Kings as a free agent this past offseason, and are hoping that Rivers can fill that void, Markazi adds. “He doesn’t do the pick-up [like Collison], but where he’s better is once the ball crosses half court,” the elder Rivers said. “He’s 6’5″, so he gives us length and speed and that’s been good for us.”
- Rockets big man Dwight Howard has been advised to obtain a second medical opinion regarding his injured right knee, and he could miss an extended period of playing time, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.
- Free agent guard Gal Mekel is thinking about returning overseas to play, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Mekel had reportedly passed on numerous overseas offers after being released by the Pelicans, and he was hoping to land a spot with another NBA team.
Spurs Sign Reggie Williams To 10-Day Contract
11:48am: The deal is official, the Spurs announced via press release.
11:35am: The Spurs are closing in on signing Reggie Williams to a 10-day contract, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The five-year veteran swingman would take the place of JaMychal Green, with whom the Spurs failed to reach agreement on a new deal after his 10-day arrangement expired Tuesday night. Williams has been playing for the Thunder’s D-League affiliate.
The 28-year-old was with the Heat on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, but he failed to make the opening night roster and hooked on with the Oklahoma City Blue late last month. A career 37.1% three-point shooter in the NBA, he’s nailed a sizzling 49.2% of his three-point attempts in 13 D-League games so far this year.
The relationship between the Thunder organization and Williams dates back to last season, when he also played for Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate and was briefly on the NBA roster, but without a current NBA contract, the Herb Rudoy client is free to sign with any NBA team. The Spurs have 14 players, all of whom have contracts that cover at least the rest of the season, leaving a single open roster spot created when they ate the rest of Austin Daye‘s guaranteed contract to sign Green.