Bulls Release Malcolm Thomas
TUESDAY, 11:32am: The Bulls have officially waived Thomas, the team announced today in a press release.
MONDAY, 5:21pm: The Bulls won't be able to retain Malcolm Thomas for the 2013/14 season due to the franchise's salary situation, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. If the paperwork for Thomas' release has not already been filed, it will be shortly as his guarantee date is Wednesday, July 24th.
Thomas is an unfortunate cap casualty for Chicago as he is averaging 11 points, 15 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in summer league. The Bulls are interested in bringing back the 6-foot-8 forward at some point, a source said, but he is expected to draw interest from several NBA teams. The 24-year-old played five games for the Warriors last season before finishing the season with the Bulls, where he averaged 1.7 PPG and 1.3 RPG in seven games.
Free Agent Rumors: Miller, Oden, Camby, Blair
Free agent rumors and rumblings have slowed down since the start of July, as most of the bigger names have come off the board. Still, even though not a ton of teams have significant cap space or exception money remaining, plenty of intriguing players remain on the market. We're entering the point in the summer where teams are hunting for bargains and value signings, so here's the latest on a few players who could fit that bill:
- Mike Miller is meeting face-to-face for a second time with both the Thunder and Grizzlies, who appear to be the two favorites for him, says Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Rockets and Nuggets aren't out of the running yet, but Miller's choice will likely come down to OKC or Memphis (Twitter links).
- The Heat, Pelicans, and Kings will observe Greg Oden in person as he works out this week, according to Stein and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, though Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) it'll just be the Pelicans and Kings. The Spurs and Mavericks are still in the hunt as well, with Miami and San Antonio still viewed as the frontrunners for the former first overall pick.
- Marcus Camby is expected to make a decision on his next team within the next week, with the Rockets, Bulls, and Heat among the finalists, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, DeJuan Blair's asking price is in the $3MM range, Lamar Odom is only interested in playing for a Los Angeles team, and Josh Akognon is drawing heavy interest from Chinese teams.
- Zwerling adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks have some interest in Ivan Johnson, but the big man is still seeking a mini mid-level deal.
- Prior to reaching an agreement with the Nuggets, Nate Robinson received serious interest from the Wizards, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Washington had already used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, so making a competitive offer would have been tricky.
- Free agent point guard Delonte West spoke to Tzvi Twersky of SlamOnline.com about his desire to return to an NBA roster.
Marcus Camby Clears Waivers
7:35pm: Camby's three finalists are the Heat, Rockets, and Bulls, sources tell Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
4:19pm: Marcus Camby has cleared waivers and is now officially a free agent, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The waivers process was more or less a formality as no one was expected to claim him following his buyout from Toronto.
The Heat are among the teams with interest in the veteran center along with the Rockets and Bulls. The Clippers were believed to have interest as well, but that notion was shot down last last week. The shot-blocking big man has impressed in recent years with his tremendous rebounding but played in just 24 games for the Knicks last season.
His recently-terminated deal called for him to earn $7.5MM between next season and 2014/15. Camby apparently wants to play for a couple more years before transitioning into coaching.
Odds & Ends: Irving, Ellis, Wolters
In his weekly roundup of topics surrounding Cleveland sports teams, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer offers his thoughts on Andrew Bynum, the Cavaliers' depth at the big man positions, and Kyrie Irving. Regarding some belief that Tyler Zeller might not get much playing time with the addition of Bynum, the return of Anderson Varejao, and the presence of Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett, Pluto believes that the second year big man will be needed since he's skeptical of Bynum and Varejao's injury histories. You can find the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- On rumors of Irving possibly leaving Cleveland or wanting out, Pluto explains why it'd be unlikely for the young star to leave the Cavs before he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2016. Pluto also lauds the acquisition of Jarrett Jack as a player who will push Dion Waiters and Irving for playing time, while also serving as an insurance policy in case one of them gets injured.
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that Monta Ellis significantly upgrades the Mavericks' talent level.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel takes a more in-depth look at Nate Wolters' experience in summer league play and several positive signs moving forward for the Bucks' rookie.
- Kevin Martin is very much looking forward to teaming up with Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, writes John Krawczynski of the Associated Press (via the Star Tribune), who also shares that Martin played a big role in the recruitment of Corey Brewer from free agency.
- In a conference call with Twin Cities reporters earlier today, Martin was asked if he had seriously considered a return to the Thunder for little money and a chance to win a championship, considering that their offer was significantly restricted by the luxury tax: "Always. I also feel like I found the same thing with Minnesota being younger. They've had some injuries over the years, but they're a good team, too. I made a decision and I think it's a great one. I learned from Oklahoma CIty, they're a great organization. The way KD and Russ approach the game, I think that's something I'll bring to Minnesota" (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune).
- Bulls rookie Tony Snell loves being compared to Kawhi Leonard, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- ESPN's David Thorpe explains why the quality of summer league play has suffered a bit this year and assesses the performance of key second year players in Las Vegas with Kevin Arnowitz and Amin Elhassan (video links).
Odds & Ends: Mavs, Brown, Telfair
- Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown addresses his relationship with LeBron James and his stint as coach of the Lakers in part one of an interview with Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- The Knicks, Heat, and Thunder have shown interest in Sebastian Telfair, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets.
- Kennedy, as part of his NBA PM piece, passes along comments from Chris Douglas-Roberts, who's confident that the Lakers will bring him to training camp for a second straight year.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that contrary to reports, the Bulls, Clippers, and Rockets are all front runners for Marcus Camby, and that the 39-year-old center is still weighing opportunities. It isn't clear as to what reports Zwerling is alluding to, as his list of frontrunners hasn't appeared to change much from this past week (with the exception of the Heat).
- The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer touches on LeBron James and Andrew Bynum and a broad spectrum of Cavs-related topics in her mailbag column.
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway Sr. networked with several teams in Las Vegas about potentially joining an NBA coaching staff and is optimistic about his chances.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southwest Rumors: Barbosa, Oden, James
- Artur Barbosa, who doubles as the brother and agent of Leandro Barbosa, tells Terra Brasil that the Mavs have offered the veteran guard a contract, and that the Dallas option is preferable to the Bulls, who've also shown interest (translation via HoopsHype). The agent says he's also engaged in talks with the Rockets. The Mavs wouldn't comment last night about a Brazilian report linking them to Barbosa, so perhaps this is the report in question.
- Greg Oden is the top big man on the Mavs' radar following the team's signing of Samuel Dalembert and the release of Bernard James, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who names the Heat, Spurs and Pelicans as the other teams still in the mix for Oden (Twitter link).
- There's a legitimate chance that a team claims James off waivers from the Mavs, Stein writes in the same piece. A source close to James tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that he's heard teams are eyeing the big man. The Wolves haven't expressed interest yet, but Minnesota is prepared to waive center Chris Johnson if necessary to make way for a better option, Wolfson reports (Twitter links).
- Spanish club FC Barcelona announced the signing of Kostas Papanikolaou to a four-year deal (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia). The Rockets hold the power forward's NBA rights, but it's unclear what the buyout clauses in his new contract are like. A report last weekend indicated that Papanikolaou "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, but signing a long-term European deal seems to run counter to that.
- Tyreke Evans is ready to embrace a sixth-man role with the Pelicans, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details.
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Expansion, Kings, Brown
USA Today's Sam Amick rounds up the news from the Board of Governors meeting today, which featured unanimous approval of Charlotte's name change from Bobcats to Hornets. Commissioner David Stern initially laughed off the idea of the switch, but fan support for the Hornets monicker persuaded him to take the issue seriously, Amick writes. Stern also offered hints that the league could consider expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas in the future, and he said the union's lack of an executive director has hung up the league's plans to implement human growth hormone testing by next season. Amick also passes along the league's rule adjustments, and we've got more from the meeting as we look around the Association this evening:
- In May, the league imposed a deadline of 2017 for the opening of a new arena in Sacramento, but Stern indicated today that he's pleased with the progress the Kings and the city are making, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee observes.
- The Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Suns and Knicks were all in attendance as Bobby Brown participated in a five-on-five scrimmage Wednesday, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The Knicks also saw Brown workout Tuesday, and they're reportedly moving toward a deal.
- Eric Gordon tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that the Pelicans have assured him that he's a part of the team's long-term plans.
- Lakers VP Jim Buss said on NBA TV tonight that he strongly believes Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles will be healed in time for him to play in preseason games this fall, notes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.
- The Bulls may have promised a training camp invitation to Andrew Goudelock as an enticement to get him to play for their summer league team, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald (Twitter link).
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has maintained flexibility with his underwhelming free agent haul this summer, but his decision to keep the core of the team intact could have negative consequences, as Eric Koreen of the National Post examines.
Raptors Buy Out Marcus Camby
THURSDAY, 6:06pm: The Raptors and Camby have completed the buyout, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Begley says Camby is a free agent now, but the veteran center will have to clear waivers first. Camby is hoping to play two more years before getting into coaching, as Zwerling reported today.
WEDNESDAY, 11:05pm: Camby and the Raptors are still working on the details of the buyout, which has not yet been finalized, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Still, an agreement remains in place and the parting of ways should be official by the end of the week, Zwerling writes. The Heat, Rockets, Bulls and Clippers are the front-runners to sign Camby once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, Zwerling hears.
2:05pm: The Raptors have agreed to a buyout with Marcus Camby and have released him, the team formally announced today (Twitter link). Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported last night that Toronto was expected to reach a buyout agreement with Camby.
Camby, 39, was sent back to Toronto, where he started his NBA career, in the trade that saw the Knicks acquire Andrea Bargnani. Not long after the move was agreed upon, the veteran big man expressed some unhappiness with being traded to a non-contender, and Marc Berman of the New York Post reported shortly thereafter that Camby had asked to be traded or bought out.
Camby was set to earn $4.38MM in 2013/14 and was on the books for a $4.18MM salary the following season, though only about $1.03MM of that second year was guaranteed. I would guess that Camby probably agreed to give up that second-year guarantee in his negotiations with the Raptors, though the terms of the buyout aren't known. The move also reduces the cap hit for Toronto, since the club can apply the stretch provision to Camby's deal.
Assuming Camby clears waivers, which seems like a safe bet, he'll be free to sign with any team except the Knicks, who are ineligible to re-add him until next July. However, according to Spears, other contenders like the Clippers, Bulls, and Rockets could have some interest.
Camby Hopes To Play Two More Years, Then Coach
Having agreed to a buyout with the Raptors, Marcus Camby appears to be ticketed for unrestricted free agency by this weekend, but the 39-year-old doesn't intend to end his playing career anytime soon. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Camby still hopes to play until 2015, when his previous contract would have ended, and then aims to get into coaching after that.
"He wants to play two more years and then move into coaching," a source told Zwerling. "He would likely start out as an assistant, as many [former players] do, but someday he'd be a great head coach. He has a very high basketball IQ."
Reports are divided on whether or not Camby is officially on waivers yet. Zwerling hears that details of Camby's buyout are still being finalized, even though the team announced yesterday that an agreement had been reached and the big man had been released. Either way, Camby should be on the open market soon, free to sign with any team except the Knicks. The former second overall pick hopes to join a contender, with the Clippers, Heat, Bulls, and Rockets believed to be in play.
"His decision will be fairly quick," the source said. "He's not ruling out the minimum, but if a team shows a bigger commitment, that could make a difference."
Blazers GM, Aldridge Reps Discuss Possible Trade
Blazers GM Neil Olshey met Sunday in Las Vegas with members of LaMarcus Aldridge's camp who suggested several trade scenarios, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The source described the meeting as productive, with both sides focused on the best outcome for all involved. Still, Haynes hears the team is in no hurry to trade the All-Star power forward, particularly if there isn't a fair deal available. Olshey and company don't want a package of draft picks in return, according to Haynes.
The Bulls, Timberwolves, Clippers, Hawks and Pelicans have declined to include Joakim Noah, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Al Horford and Anthony Davis, respectively, in any deal for Aldridge, Haynes hears. Aldridge has told Haynes and others that he has not requested a trade, and Haynes has confirmed that he hasn't done so. Still, Aldridge isn't opposed to a trade, just as he'd be OK with returning to Portland, as Haynes writes, echoing his report from last month.
A strong performance from Aldridge this season could help Olshey find the deal he wants next summer, when Aldridge will be down to one more year on his contract. The 28-year-old Arn Tellem client will make $14.628MM this season and $15.756MM in 2014/15.