Notable April Extensions
April is a time when most teams have set their rosters and are either making a playoff push or evaluating the assets they have going into the offseason. That doesn't mean front offices are ghost towns this time of year, and last couple of April have featured some notable contract extensions. No such deals are on the horizon this year, but let's take a look back and see how these late-season decisions have panned out for teams and players:
- On April 2, 2010, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $83.5MM extension that kicked in this season. It's certainly paying dividends for L.A. so far, as Bryant is leading the league with 28.1 PPG and averaging 38.4 MPG, almost five more minutes a game more than last season despite the condensed schedule. Though he's missed the last few games with an injury to his shin, Bryant, 33, has looked as spry and healthy as ever after receiving experimental treatment on his knees in the offseason. The team expects Bryant to continue playing after the extension is up, and seems committed to making him a Laker for life. We'll see come 2014, but for now, it seems Bryant is content and will continue to produce for L.A. as one of the NBA's highest paid players.
- Manu Ginobili and the Spurs agreed to a three-year, $38.9MM extension April 8, 2010. The deal makes him the highest paid player on the Spurs aside from Tim Duncan, giving him more per year than Tony Parker. It took effect last season, when Ginobili became more of a focal point of the offense, taking the second greatest number of shots per game in his career (5.5) and delivering his second highest scoring average (17.4). He also tied a career high with 4.9 APG. A full-time starter last season, he's most appeared off the bench this year, and his numbers have tailed off, in part due to a broken left hand and a strained left oblique that caused him to miss significant time. Still, Ginobili is making a career-best 51.3% of his shots from the floor, and the Spurs continue to win, so the deal continues to look smart for both sides.
- Marcus Camby signed an incentive-laden two-year extension with the Blazers on April 20, 2010. The base pay is $17.7MM, and there was $7.8MM available to Camby if he reached certain benchmarks, though at least $1.49MM of that won't be claimed. The Blazers sent Camby to the Rockets in March, the same month the veteran big man turned 38. He's seen fewer minutes the past two seasons, but will go into free agency this summer having proven he's still one of the league's most effective rebounders. In fact, he's averaged more than 14 rebounds per 36 minutes during the extension, a number he had never before reached. He led the NBA in blocks per game four times, and has averaged 1.8 blocks a night with Houston. His board work and basket protection were certainly assets that helped the Blazers claim a playoff spot last year, and it appears the same will be true for the Rockets this season. Still, his likely incentives push his cap hold to more than $11.2MM this season, and it's probably a stretch to say someone who plays only about half the game and is not much of an offensive factor is worth that amount of money.
- One year to the day after the Blazers extended Camby, Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies agreed to a four-year, $66MM extension that begins this season. The final year is a player option, and the $66MM figure doesn't include $1.25MM per year in unlikely incentives. It represented quite a comeback for Randolph, whom the Clippers saw as expendable before trading him straight up for Quentin Richardson in the summer of 2009. With the ink barely dry on the extension, Randolph powered Memphis to an unlikely playoff run last year, averaging 22.2 PPG and 10.8 RPG in 13 postseason games. A knee injury caused Randolph to miss most of the deal's first year, however, and he's putting up his lowest scoring and rebounding numbers in nine years as coach Lionel Hollins works him back in a bench role. I doubt that, with the money he's making, Randolph will be out of the starting lineup for too long. Injuries happen, but it's disconcerting to see Randolph go down in just the first year of his deal. Even at 30 years old, he carries 253 pounds on his 6'9" frame, and it makes you wonder what condition his knees will be in come 2015.
Southwest Notes: Jack, Arenas, Diaw, Jackson
The most pressing news out of the Southwest Division is Lamar Odom's departure from the Mavs, but there are a few more items of note as the Spurs, with an eight and a half game lead over the Grizzlies, close in on the title:
- Jarrett Jack's season is over with a stress fracture in his right foot, the team confirms on its website. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports originally reported the news via Twitter. The Hornets guard enters the final season of a four-year, $20MM contract next year, when he's scheduled to make $5.4MM. The team currently has 14 players on its roster, so they wouldn't have to let anyone go to bring in an extra point guard for the season's final weeks.
- Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal looks at how recent Grizzlies signee Gilbert Arenas has reinvented himself to fit in with the team.
- Boris Diaw, who signed with the Spurs after the Bobcats bought him out, got his first start with San Antonio on Sunday in the team's win over Utah as coach Gregg Popovich continues to tinker with the lineup, notes Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. Stephen Jackson, acquired at the trade deadline, did not play.
Examining How The Spurs Keep Winning
Last night the Spurs pulled into a virtual tie with the Thunder for first place in the Western Conference. It's a remarkable achievement for a franchise that doesn't attract marquee free agents and hasn't drafted higher than 20th overall since landing Tim Duncan in 1997. (The trade for the rights to Kawhi Leonard, the 15th pick last year, didn't officially go down until after the draft.) Much of the credit deservedly goes to coach Gregg Popovich, but GM R.C. Buford, who somehow has never won the Executive of the Year award, deserves kudos as well. Let's take a look at how he's kept the Spurs among the elite for so many years.
The mainstays of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were already in place when Buford was promoted to general manager in 2002. Buford was, however, in charge of scouting when Parker and Ginobili were taken with the 28th and 57th picks in their respective drafts, so we can give him at least some of the credit for those selections. Buford was GM when all of them signed their current contracts, and the fact that the team's three best players are also its three highest-paid players speaks to how well Buford has kept the house in order.
Parker and Ginobili, along with Tiago Splitter, the 27th pick in the 2007 draft, represent the fruits of the Spurs' international scouting, which has been viewed as a hallmark of the franchise. Still, a great deal of the Spurs' success is based on simply getting the greatest value possible out of draft picks and trades, with rebounding and three-point shooting as the common statistical themes. Leonard cost the team a valuable contributor in George Hill, but the Spurs got a rookie who has already started 28 games and, at 6'7", has averaged 5.2 RPG in 25.4 minutes a game. Another 6'7" overachiever is DeJuan Blair, who dropped into the second round in 2009 because of concerns about the lack of ACLs in his knees. He's turned into a starter who's averaged 11.4 rebounds per 36 minutes for his career. Matt Bonner, acquired from the Raptors in 2006, has been a mainstay off the bench, knocking down 41.6% of his three-point attempts, including a league-leading 45.7% last season, as a 6'10" power forward making $3.3MM this season.
Buford's crowning achievements might be Danny Green and Gary Neal, D-League refugees making less than $1MM a year who play key roles for the team. Green, on a minimum-salary deal, has taken over as the starting two-guard despite a lack of flashy numbers outside of a 39.3% three-point percentage. Neal backs up at either guard position and provides outside shooting as well (39.8% three-point percentage).
Whether it's because Buford has figured out something related to long-distance shooting and rebounding that gives his team the edge, or simply because his scouting, both domestically and internationally, allows him to stay a step ahead of the opposition, it's clear the Spurs have a winning formula. The key now is for Popovich and the players to find a way to make it all translate into one more championship this year.
Southwest Rumors: Lowry, Ayon, Duncan, Cuban
Earlier today, the Rockets signed Earl Boykins to a second 10-day contract, and saw Kyle Lowry return to practice in hopes of playing again this season. What else is going on in the Southwest Division? Let's check out a few links….
- The Hornets are expected to retain Gustavo Ayon for 2012/13, reports USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust. Ayon will have two more seasons ($1.5MM) left on his three-year deal at season's end, but neither is guaranteed yet. You can find our full list of 2012/13 non-guaranteed contracts here.
- Spurs veteran Tim Duncan doesn't have a contract for next year, guaranteed or otherwise, but he's not thinking about his future until after the season, as he tells Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has a number of ideas about how the NBA draft and eligibility rules should be changed, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Cuban would like to see players not become draft-eligible until three years after they've graduated high school, and would like to expand the draft from two rounds to four.
Teams Signing The Most 10-Day Contracts
Teams have different motives for bringing players in on 10-day contracts. In the case of a lottery-bound team with little to play for in the immediate future, signing a player to a 10-day deal allows for an affordable, first-hand look at a young player to determine whether or not he might be a long-term asset (think Gerald Green with the Nets). For a contender, a 10-day deal allows a team to bring in a veteran to temporarily provide bench help in case of injuries or questionable depth (ie. Mike James and the Bulls).
As our 10-day contract tracker shows, however, some teams like taking advantage of these deals more than others. While a number of clubs have yet to sign a single player to a 10-day deals, a handful have brought in multiple players on temporary contracts, renewing some and letting others expire. Here's a quick look at which teams have taken advantage of the 10-day contracts the most this season, handing them out to multiple players:
Cavaliers:
Manny Harris (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Lester Hudson
Ben Uzoh
Hornets:
Jeff Foote
Solomon Jones (two 10-day contracts)
Donald Sloan (two 10-day contracts)
Lance Thomas (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Nets:
Andre Emmett
Gerald Green (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Dennis Horner
Jerry Smith
Raptors:
Alan Anderson
Ben Uzoh
Rockets:
Earl Boykins
Courtney Fortson (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Malcolm Thomas
Spurs:
Eric Dawson (two 10-day contracts)
Justin Dentmon
Warriors:
Keith Benson
Mickell Gladness (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Wizards:
Cartier Martin
Edwin Ubiles
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Davis, Pistons, Spurs
The Bulls are doing battle with the Thunder today in another possible Finals match-up. Chicago is once again without their best player, Derrick Rose. In an Insider piece on ESPN.com, Basketball-Reference's Neil Paine explains that despite the team experiencing recent success without Rose, they have no chance at winning a title if he doesn't play.
- Tim Griffin from Spurs Nation has a piece on San Antonio's probable decision to change their lineups as the playoffs grow near.
- ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley writes about the importance of Baron Davis now that Jeremy Lin will have knee surgery.
- Vincent Goodwill from The Detroit News thinks Joe Dumars needs to take the Pistons in a new direction.
- Since Ray Allen went down with an ankle injury, and Mickael Pietrus suffered a concussion, Avery Bradley's insertion in Boston's starting lineup has been a revelation for the team's playoff chances, writes The Sporting News' Sean Deveney.
- CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes poses an interesting question regarding a difficult decision Portland might have this offseason. With both J.J. Hickson and Nicolas Batum being restricted free agents, which one should the team set as a priority for keeping? For reference, here's a look at our list of 2012/13 free agents.
- The Sacramento Bee's Stephen Magagnini wrote a piece about the impact rookie Isaiah Thomas has had both on the court and in the community.
- The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells writes about the relationship Pacers guard George Hill still shares with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Also, Indiana head coach Frank Vogel talks about why he's decided it isn't worth it to rest his veterans despite the season's hectic schedule.
Southwest Notes: Johnson, Gordon, Hornets, Ford
Jarrett Jack gave the Hornets 18 points and ten dimes this afternoon but it wasn't enough as they fell to the Lakers 88-85. Here's more out of the Southwest division..
- The last 15 games of the season will determine whether the Hornets re-sign center Chris Johnson in the offseason, team officials tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Coach Monty Williams said he's still trying to figure out what the 6'11", 210-pound journeyman from LSU can do.
- The Hornets expect shooting guard Eric Gordon to return from right-knee surgery Wednesday against the Nuggets, writes Reid. Earlier this week, Luke Adams pegged Gordon as the prize of the restricted free agent market in his look at this summer's available shooting guards.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star checks in with former Spurs guard T.J. Ford, who's now a volunteer assistant with the Austin Toros after bringing his playing career to an end earlier this season. "I'm healthy, that's the whole purpose of me retiring," he said. "There really wasn't much else I could prove with my circumstances. I became more a role player coming off the bench. I'd rather now move on to the next phase in my life."
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Links: Boykins, Thomas, Hornets, Mavs
With the Mavericks in action in Orlando and the Rockets hosting the Grizzlies, here is a look at some links from the Southwest division:
- Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News provides some interesting Spurs tidbits centering on how the international play of Patrick Mills and Boris Diaw helped to lead the two recent additions to San Antonio.
- NBA sources have told Fox 26 in Houston that the Rockets are likely to retain guard Earl Boykins and forward Malcolm Thomas after their 10-day contracts expire, tweets Mark Berman. Boykins signed his contract on March 26 and Thomas signed his on March 27.
- Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated thoroughly examines the state of the Hornets franchise, which is expected to be sold by the NBA in the coming weeks in a deal that will keep the team in New Orleans until at least 2024. Thomsen says the Hornets are headed towards profitability and he also delves into the vetoed Chris Paul trade.
- Jason Terry's comments aside, there was some other news after the Mavericks Thursday night loss in Miami. ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon writes that Lamar Odom has shown signs of effectiveness lately for Dallas. With Delonte West back in the lineup, the duo could provide a much needed boost down the stretch.
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.
Southwest Notes: Spurs, Thomas, Hornets
San Antonio finally finalized its signing of Patrick Mills today, and while it's unclear whether the point guard will play in Phoenix tonight, he'll at least be on the Spurs' bench. Here are a few more links on the Southwest leaders and their division rivals:
- The flurry of midseason roster moves made by the Spurs in recent weeks is unprecedented for the team, says Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Manu Ginobli says the acquisitions of Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, and Mills show the Spurs are going "all-in" while Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says San Antonio is "loading up for a run."
- The Rockets are expected to sign Malcolm Thomas, as we heard last night. According to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link), the Rockets will assign Thomas to their D-League affiliate so he can receive more playing time as the team evaluates him.
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld takes an extended look at the Hornets' current situation, with decisions on Eric Gordon and a handful of unrestricted free agents coming this summer.