San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Shaq, Wilkerson, Vaughn

August 30th, 2012 at 7:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Lakers will retire Shaquille O'Neal's #34 jersey on April 2nd at Staples Center before the team faces the Mavericks, tweets Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register. He adds that the team will also retire center Jamaal Wilkes' #52 jersey on December 28. Also, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's statue will be unveiled on November 16, according to Ding (via Twitter). Here's what else we're hearing from the NBA this evening…

Tyler Wilkerson has received an offer to attend training camp with the Spurs after a standout performance with their summer league team, says Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. McCarney cited a tweet from NBA agent Seth A. Cohen for making the announcement.
John Denton of NBA.com highlights Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as he prepares for his first season with Orlando and obtains some thoughts regarding his newly hired assistant coaches.
According to an ESPN.com survey of "100 of ESPN's best basketball minds", the Lakers received 56 votes and the Thunder finished with 42 on the topic of who will be the Western Conference champions this year.
Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reviewed a list of the remaining NBA teams with cap and trade exceptions.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio doesn't think that the Cavaliers are actively trying to move Daniel Gibson, contrary to what other rumblings might suggest (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, he asserts that Kyrie Irving is ahead of his recovery schedule and should be ready by training camp on October 1.
Head coach Doug Collins likes the pieces that the 76ers have heading into training camp and is excited to start work, writes Marc Narducci of Philly.com.

Popovich On Leonard, Mills, Team Goals

August 30th, 2012 at 6:25pm CST by Ryan Raroque

About to enter his 17th season with the Spurs, Gregg Popovich has already amassed four NBA championships and two "Coach of the Year" awards, with his last and only losing season having occurred during 1996-97 as a first-year head coach. After falling just two wins short of an NBA Finals berth in June, Popovich appears determined to regroup for next season. Here are a few noteworthy tidbits from his Q&A with fans on Spurs.com:

Regarding Kawhi Leonard and his future in the NBA:

"I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had one year of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else."

When asked about Patty Mills' role on the Spurs after his performance in the Olympics:

"Well, I didn’t need to see his Olympic performance to know what he can bring, it’s just that he came to us so late last year it was really hard to incorporate him into what we were doing. But he’s an aggressive, fiery, offensive player. He can shoot the three and really score, and that’s what he looks to do when he comes in the game. So he’ll be a game-changer in that sense, at the offensive end. And defensively he’s kind of like a pest—he’s not very big but he’s really a game. He’s got great courage and he gets into people, trying to really bother them and get them off their game. So his competitiveness and offensive skills are what we’re looking forward to mostly."

On defense as a priority for upcoming training camp and how he plans to adjust against teams that have remarkably improved:

"You know (defense is) always a priority with us, but you know we’re never going to reach the level that we were at five, six years ago defensively. It’s just impossible to do that for a variety of reasons. But it still has to be an emphasis, we can get better and we have to if we want to compete with these guys that, as you said, added so many players to their team…What other teams do is not in our control, so we'll worry about, as I said, incorporating Kawhi into the program more since he wasn’t here very long. Boris, Patty Mills, look for improvement in Danny Green, work our big guys. Tiago and DeJuan Blair I think are going to have very good seasons for us. So we’ll concentrate on that and what we need to do as a group, and we’ll see how we stack up."

Derrick Brown To Work Out For Spurs, Hawks

August 30th, 2012 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Unrestricted free agent Derrick Brown will work out for the Spurs next week and the Hawks the week after, in search of an NBA job, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. According to Haynes, Brown is also hoping to schedule a workout with the Nets, who appear to be back in the market for a small forward after Donte Greene suffered an ankle fracture.

Haynes adds that Brown, a three-year veteran, had been entertaining offers from teams overseas, but has shifted his focus back to landing an NBA contract. The 6'7" wing spent the 2011/12 season with the Bobcats, playing in all but one game and earning 17 starts. In 22.2 minutes per contest, Brown averaged 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and a 14.7 PER, shooting 51.8% from the field. Based on his solid production and his age (24), it's a little surprising he hasn't drawn more interest this offseason.

Brown started the summer as a restricted free agent, but the Bobcats decided to pull their $1.1MM qualifying offer in mid-July. Having drafted a pair of small forwards in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffrey Taylor, the Bobcats didn't figure to have Brown in their long-term plans.

Kyler On Harrington, Thomas, Gibson, Calderon

August 30th, 2012 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

Sources close to the Magic deny that Al Harrington was included in this month's Dwight Howard blockbuster as a throw-in, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. However, Kyler still believes the Magic will explore the possibility of moving Harrington and his contract before the trade deadline. Harrington has three years remaining on his deal, but the last two are only partially guaranteed, and he's still a serviceable player, so Orlando could find a taker. Here are the rest of Kyler's Thursday morning updates on players that may be on the move prior to the trade deadline:

According to Kyler, the Bobcats are hoping new coach Mike Dunlap can reach Tyrus Thomas in a way that Paul Silas couldn't. Thomas' contract still looks like an albatross though, and the Bobcats would likely move it in a minute if they could find a taker.
While Kyler hears a handful of teams have been in contact with Cleveland about Daniel Gibson, the Cavs deny they're shopping the guard.
The Raptors haven't been able to find a deal they like for Jose Calderon to date, but as February's deadline approaches, the Spaniard may turn into a more viable trade chip, as his contract nears its end.
Larry Sanders could be on the trade block for the Bucks, who acquired Samuel Dalembert and Ekpe Udoh, re-signed Ersan Ilyasova, and drafted John Henson within the last few months.
Kevin Martin and the Rockets and Corey Maggette of the Pistons figure to be trade candidates this season, as veterans with $10MM+ expiring contracts.
The Spurs are expected to continue trying to find a trade partner for DeJuan Blair, but his health history raises some red flags for rival clubs.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Nelson, Spurs, Rockets

August 28th, 2012 at 9:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson is set to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on September 7th and tells the Associated Press that he is enjoying his retirement more than he ever anticipated. After enduring the grueling and stressful life of an NBA coach for a number of years, Nelson is happy to be in Hawaii, where he has taken up botany, poker, and of course, golf. Could the eccentric offensive guru be lured out of retirement with an attractive coaching opportunity? ''I'd say I'm retired,'' Nelson said. ''I'm done, I'm cooked. It's over.'' Here's more out of the Southwest division..

The Spurs announced on their website that former player Ime Udoka has been hired as an assistant coach. The forward spent parts of seven seasons in the Association with three seasons in San Antonio. Udoka, 35, was waived by the Nets just prior to the start of the 2011/12 campaign and hooked on with Spanish ACB League team UCAM Murcia.
Even though the Rockets like 2009 second-round pick Sergio Llull a great deal, they had no plans to bring him over for the 2012/13 season, tweets Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. We learned earlier today that the combo guard is happy playing with Real Madrid and intends to finish out his contract.
Rockets rookie forward Donatas Motiejunas believes that he is getting a healthy challenge by practicing against the recently-acquired Omer Asik, writes Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. The Lithuanian knows that he will have to adjust to the pace of the NBA but says that the cultural adjustment is going swimmingly.
Earlier tonight, we learned that the Rockets waived center Sean Williams rather than guarantee his $916K salary for next season.

Odds & Ends: Buford, Howard, Rockets, Layden

August 27th, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

While it's been widely assumed heading into the 2012/13 campaign that the Nets will take the Magic's spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the rest of the East's lottery teams may be expecting a little more turnover than that. Count Jonas Jerebko of the Pistons among those expecting a shake-up in the Eastern standings — asked about the coming season in Germany recently, Jerebko declared that his Pistons are "going to make the playoffs," as James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press writes.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

Undrafted rookie William Buford, out of Ohio State, has signed in Spain with Obradoiro, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes an open letter to Dwight Howard, advising him on how to avoid creating a Dwightmare sequel in Los Angeles.
Doug Collins believes current Sixers assistant and former Pistons head coach Michael Curry is ready to lead an NBA team again, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press notes.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld identifies five young players that will be under pressure to take big steps forward in 2012/13, including three recent signees.
Despite missing out on Dwight Howard and other impact players this summer, the Rockets still hope to contend for the playoffs, GM Daryl Morey tells Fran Blinebury of NBA.com.
The Spurs will interview Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden for their assistant GM opening, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.

Southwest Rumors: Rookies, Mavs, Lopez, Duncan

August 23rd, 2012 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA.com conducted a survey of 39 rookies, and to no one's surprise, Anthony Davis was the pick for Rookie of the Year, as NBA.com's John Schuhmann writes. The No. 1 overall pick by the Hornets also topped the list of rookies who'll have the best career, but lost the best defensive honors to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of the Bobcats. Perhaps most revelatory is the ranking of players who are most overlooked. Tony Wroten of the Grizzlies tied for first with Draymond Green of the Warriors, Perry Jones of the Thunder and Andrew Nicholson of the Magic. Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com takes a look at how Mavericks rookies fared in the survey, and we have plenty more from Dallas and the rest of the Southwest Division:

Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com wonders whether the Mavericks might shift their focus for next summer from pursuing marquee free agents to a plan that involves re-signing their own players and going after second-tier stars, a la Josh Smith.
Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com takes a stab at guessing the framework of the aborted Mavs–Lakers deal from 2007 that would have brought Kobe Bryant to Dallas, which Mavs owner Mark Cuban made public earlier this week. Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Devin Harris seem the most likely players to have been headed to L.A. in that near-deal, Kamenetzky says.
We heard a little from Robin Lopez earlier, but the 7'0" center had more to say Thursday as he met with New Orleans media for the first time. He said he hopes to bring some intensity, fire and toughness to the Hornets, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com chronicles, and had high praise for Anthony Davis, saying, "From what I’ve seen, he looks like a great player, with great instincts, and he’s freakishly athletic. I’m especially looking forward to playing with him on the defensive end. I think we both can definitely make a strong impact there."
Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News notes that Tim Duncan's per-36-minute stats last season were remarkably similar to those from his rookie year, one possible reason the Spurs were willing to offer Duncan the three-year, $30MM deal he signed last month.

Odds & Ends: Team Canada, Harrellson, Magic

August 23rd, 2012 at 2:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

A handful of players with NBA ties have been invited to a weekend training camp that will take place soon to give Team Canada officials a first glimpse at candidates for their national team, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports (Sulia link). Tristan Thompson of the Cavs, Joel Anthony of the Heat, Cory Joseph of the Spurs, Andrew Nicholson of the Magic and Kris Joseph of the Celtics are on the list. Robert Sacre, the 60th pick in this year's draft by the Lakers, remains unsigned, but he's been invited as well. The team has officially named former Raptors head coach and current Blazers assistant Jay Triano as head coach, Wolstat also writes, and Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson will also be an assistant with Team Canada. Lakers guard Steve Nash, serving as Team Canada's GM, said he wouldn't have accepted the position if Triano wasn't coming aboard, too, Wolstat notes. Here's more from around the Association this afternoon:

The Heat conducted a workout with Josh Harrellson today, as we heard earlier, but the Timberwolves have no interest in the 6'10" University of Kentucky product, as they prefer a center with more length, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes that Harrellson is just one of several big men the Heat are considering (Sulia link).
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks at the options the Magic have at power forward to replace Ryan Anderson.
The Bulls, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Warriors all have some significant injury issues with training camp about a month away, and Sam Amick of SI.com checks in on the status of Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and others.
Robin Lopez is recovering from left knee surgery that took place a week after the Hornets acquired him in a sign-and-trade, but he's expected to be ready for training camp, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune reports. Lopez expressed his enthusiasm about coming to New Orleans, saying, "I’m excited to be here. We’ve got a young, energetic group. The good thing is we’ve got some youth that has a little bit of experience as well. Hopefully we can parlay that into something special.’’
Joe Dumars, Pistons president of basketball operations, traveled overseas with assistant GM George David to watch Jonas Jerebko and Slava Kravtsov in FIBA Eurobasket qualifying, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes.

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Jackson, Scola, Cavs

August 22nd, 2012 at 11:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers had a breakthrough season in 2011/12, but their ability to build on that will be compromised by their offseason health issues, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups are expected to miss the entire preseason, while Lamar Odom, who's working his way back into playing shape, and Blake Griffin figure to be limited training camp participants. That means the Clippers will likely start the season having to play catch-up, Markazi says. That's compounded by Vinny Del Negro's task of having to integrate five new free agent acquisitions in the lineup while also juggling part-time GM duties. Here's more from around the Association tonight:

Stephen Jackson spoke fondly of his return to the Spurs to Jared Ainsworth of the Beaumont Enterprise, saying, "If things work out in San Antonio I wouldn't mind finishing my career there. But you know it's a business and I'm one of those guys that doesn't mind going to play somewhere else. I've been on seven different teams."
Luis Scola donned his Suns uniform Wednesday for an introductory press conference and photo shoot, and talked about his adjustment to life in Phoenix and his experience with the Argentinian team at the Olympics, as Stefan Swiat of Suns.com writes.
The Cavs acquired Jeremy Pargo via trade with the Grizzlies last month, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio expects the Cavs to find another point guard to bring to training camp, with Pargo and Donald Sloan currently the only backups for Kyrie Irving (Sulia link). Amico also passes along word that most coaches and executives he's talked to project the Cavs to win between 28 and 35 games.
Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com grades every team's offseason. The Clippers, despite their injuries, and Lakers get A+ marks, while the Pistons and Magic get F's.

Latest On Michael Redd

August 22nd, 2012 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

After seeing his playing time and production decline significantly due to injuries during his previous three seasons, Michael Redd had a bit of a bounceback year in Phoenix in 2011/12, averaging 8.2 points in just 15.1 minutes per game. Those numbers should be enough to earn him another NBA contract, and according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, there are a number of potential suitors in play. While Amico says the Cavs don't have interest, he lists the Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Bulls, and Thunder as possible fits (Sulia link).

I outlined yesterday why the Nuggets could use a shooter, and I could see the Wizards and Grizzlies wanting to add a little more size at the two. While we heard of the Bulls' interest earlier in the summer, I can't see them as a real possibility at this point, considering their cap situation — they'd have to trade away a player before they'd even have room to sign Redd. As for the Thunder, they could add one more backcourt player to replace Derek Fisher, as Amico notes, adding that he wouldn't be surprised to see Fisher end up in San Antonio.

Redd is probably unlikely to land more than a minimum-salary deal this offseason, which may limit his earnings, but should open up plenty of options. While a number of teams no longer have cap space or mid-level exceptions available, clubs can use the minimum salary exception as many times as they like.