Central Notes: Pistons, Robinson, Pacers, Cavs
Here are the latest updates from around the Central Division on Saturday night:
- Brendan Savage of MLive.com writes that the Pistons have grown during the preseason and are ready for the challenges the regular season will bring.
- Terry Foster of the Detroit News talks to several Pistons players who believe the team will finish with above a .500 record in 2012/13.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that new Bulls signee Nate Robinson is working on his ballhandling and decreasing his turnovers during training camp.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that the Pacers are more confident in their bench this season than they were last year.
- Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that the Cavaliers are headed in the right direction, even if they don't make the playoffs this season.
Stein On Harden, Gibson, Curry, Bobcats
As we close in on the extension deadline for players out of the draft class of 2009, Bulls forward Taj Gibson insists that he isn't letting his contract situation be a distraction. Of course, Gibson would prefer to have a new contract worked out in advance of the October 31st deadline. Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein took to Twitter to look at some the players in line for contract extensions out of the 2009 draft class. Let's take a look..
- Stein believes that the Thunder and James Harden will reach agreement on a contract extension, but there is pessimism surrounding the situation as Oklahoma City is insisting on a deal for less than the max (Twitter link). Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman is among those who are less-than-optimistic about a deal being struck, giving the club a 0.2% chance of working something out.
- Stein (via Twitter) still expects the Warriors to extend Stephen Curry despite his recurring ankle issues. Curry missed time during the preseason, leading many to believe that the guard would not work out a new deal with Golden State. The 24-year-old is set to earn roughly $3.96MM as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.
- It's a safe bet that the Bulls will extend Gibson by Wednesday's deadline, Stein tweets. Late last week, Gibson said that he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Chicago.
- Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens both told Stein (via Twitter) that they hope to hammer out extensions with the Bobcats before the Wednesday deadline. The Bobcats have been exploring an extension for the Duke product, but reportedly won't pull the trigger unless the terms are very team-friendly. Mullens took a significant step forward last season as he averaged 9.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG in his first year with Charlotte.
Odds & Ends: Smith, Dorsey, Suns, Pacers
There seems to be an increasing reluctance to lock fourth-year players up to extensions prior to their restricted free agency, Sean Deveney writes in his latest piece for The Sporting News. With this year's extension deadline looming, only Blake Griffin and Serge Ibaka have re-upped with their respective teams so far. As we wait to see which other extension candidates may sign new deals in the next few days, let's tackle a few odds and ends from around the Association:
- Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along word that Jamar Smith, who was cut from Celtics camp, has joined Gilboa Galil in Israel.
- There are whispers that Greek team Olympiacos has agreed to release Joey Dorsey, tweets David Pick of Sportando. Dorsey may have an agreement lined up to join an NBA team — he hinted as much on his Facebook page, but has since deleted the post (hat tip to Sportando).
- The Suns will carry a pair of undrafted rookies, Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett, on their roster to start the regular season, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Neither player figures to see regular time in the Suns' rotation, but GM Lance Blanks is optimistic about the Suns' player development staff working with the young duo.
- The last of the Pacers on a fully non-guaranteed contract, Ben Hansbrough is hoping to stick around Indiana, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- With Robert Pera's purchase of the Grizzlies having been approved by the league, the team will remain in Memphis long-term, and Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal thinks that's worth celebrating.
- Sam Smith's latest mailbag at Bulls.com touches on James Harden, Gilbert Arenas, and plenty of Bulls-related topics.
- The Jazz brought Randy Foye aboard this season to be a shooter, but it turns out Foye is seeing plenty of time at the point, says Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Odds & Ends: Spurs, Thunder, Cavaliers, Deng
Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK lists Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, Andy Rautins, and Hollis Thompson as the four Thunder hopefuls looking to earn the team's final roster spot. While he believes that Liggins has the best chance considering the bulk of minutes he's played during the pre-season, Mayberry also considers Orton as a strong candidate because of his potential. He adds that a popular idea would be for Oklahoma City to waive or trade a guaranteed contract in order to keep both Liggins and Orton, although such a possibility seems unlikely at this point. With that aside, you can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- Former Memphis Tiger Wesley Witherspoon believes that being around the veteran leadership in San Antonio would be a great place to start his career if he makes the team (Jason Smith of The Memphis Edge reports). On another note, Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation writes that Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard isn't worried about his pre-season shooting slump affecting his shot once the regular season starts.
- Fran Blinebury of NBA.com explains why it would be prudent for Oklahoma City to wait on a possible extension for James Harden, most notably to see if he can remain healthy this season and maintain a high level of play.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says that the Cavaliers are expected to send recently-signed D'Aundray Brown to the D-League, even though he would still take up a spot on the team's official season roster. He also speculates that three roster cuts are likely to be decided from a group that includes Jeremy Pargo, Kevin Jones, Luke Harangody, and Micheal Eric.
- Although Luol Deng dealt with a torn ligament in his left wrist last season and ultimately decided against surgery during the summer, the Bulls forward now feels confident enough to play at a high level and said that he hasn't been feeling any pain (Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago reports).
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News explains some of the biggest responsibilities that current deputy commissioner Adam Silver will have once he is set to replace David Stern, including television contract negotiations, collective bargaining, European expansion, and development of the D-League.
- Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution engaged in a Q&A with Hawks forward Josh Smith about his expectations this season and the challenges he anticipates for the team. In a separate article, Daniel Christian of Sheridan Hoops discusses five reasons to be optimistic about Atlanta this year.
- Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com talks briefly about New Orleans' confidence in the versatility and scoring ability of Hornets rookie Austin Rivers.
Kyler On Extension Candidates
Last week, both TNT's David Aldridge and ESPN.com's Marc Stein passed along rumors and rumblings they'd heard about this offseason's extension candidates. With just six more days for Ty Lawson, Taj Gibson, and other extension-eligible players to work out new deals with their teams, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld throws his hat into the ring, rounding up a few of the latest updates:
- James Harden would like to end speculation about his contract situation, and that could mean he accepts an offer worth less than the max from the Thunder, says Kyler. A contract that includes incentives is a possibility.
- The Kings are unlikely to lock up Tyreke Evans this month, and could even explore trading him prior to this season's deadline. Kyler hears from sources close to Evans that he'd welcome free agency "if only to find a situation that believes in him as a player."
- The Warriors still like Stephen Curry and figure to retain him beyond this season, but an extension probably won't happen within the next week. Given Curry's ankle issues, it's simply too hard to value him fairly.
- DeMar DeRozan appears headed for restricted free agency, and the Raptors would like to see a "big leap" from him this season before committing too heavily next summer.
- Brandon Jennings is "far from secure" in Milwaukee, and the Bucks could consider trading him before the deadline, according to Kyler.
- Kyler hears that the 76ers have offered Jrue Holiday an extension in the neighborhood of $9MM annually, but that's Holiday's camp turned it down, expecting to see a bigger payday in free agency.
- Lawson still appears to be one of the players most likely to be extended, and Kyler says the Nuggets could include incentives in their offer.
- The Bulls are likely to extend Gibson, who wants to stay in Chicago, though that doesn't necessarily mean he'll accept a hometown discount.
Eastern Notes: Jennings, DeRozan, Boozer, Jaric
Bucks GM John Hammond said Wednesday the team wants to keep Brandon Jennings around long-term, adding that he'll continue to have talks about an extension with Bill Duffy, the agent for Jennings, until either a deal is reached or the October 31st deadline passes, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. We've got more on another player up for an extension and other notes from the Eastern Conference tonight.
- DeMar DeRozan is eligible for extension before next week's deadline, but the Raptors reportedly "want to be wowed" by his performance this season before signing him to a long-term deal next summer. DeRozan is making strides toward that so far, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun observes.
- Carlos Boozer, an amnesty candidate for next summer, has looked sharp in preseason for the Bulls as he tries to pick up the slack for the injured Derrick Rose, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- Marko Jaric was waived by the Bulls today, but expressed appreciation for his time in camp via Twitter, and wrote that he hopes he'll be back with the team next month, when it can afford him on a minimum-salary deal under its hard cap (hat tip to Shams Charania of RealGM.com). Until then, Jaric is free to sign with any team.
- When asked by reporters why he re-signed with the Celtics, Jeff Green pointed to Rajon Rondo, whom he called "the best point guard in the league," notes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal weighs the chances Kevin Jones has of making the Cavs opening-night roster. Jones has a diminutive partial guarantee of $50K on his deal.
- John Denton of Magic.com takes a look at Nikola Vucevic, the likely starting center for the Magic after coming over from the Sixers in the Dwight Howard trade.
- The Bobcats were the league's worst offensive team last year, and they haven't been much better in the preseason, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Bulls Waive Marko Jaric, Ryan Allen
The Bulls have officially waived camp invitees Marko Jaric and Ryan Allen, the team announced today in a press release. The pair of cuts reduces Chicago's roster to 13 players, meaning the team is likely set for the regular season.
Jaric and Allen were among the five free agents the Bulls invited to camp this month, but like the other three, who have also been released, they were long shots to earn roster spots. Although teams can carry up to 15 players in the regular season, the Bulls are up against a hard cap, with only about $758K of breathing room. Chicago would have needed to make a corresponding roster move to clear space for either player's minimum-salary deal.
As is, the Bulls will be eligible to sign a veteran player without trading or releasing another player as of November 19th, when the amount of the veteran-minimum salary prorates to fit within their cap parameters.
Bulls Rumors: Hinrich, Robinson, Fesenko, Gibson
When Kirk Hinrich tweaked his groin during last night's game against the Thunder, it shone a spotlight on the reality of the Bulls' situation, according to Nick Friedell in a piece for ESPNChicago.com. With Derrick Rose out and the bench having been overhauled in the offseason, it's not clear yet whether Chicago has the depth to withstand another injury or two, opines Friedell. While we wait to hear if Hinrich's injury is any more than a minor issue, here's the rest of this morning's Bulls-related updates:
- Nate Robinson is confident that he can step up and man the point if Hinrich's injury results in missed time, writes Scott Powell of ESPNChicago.com. If he wasn't a lock to make the team already, Robinson certainly appears to be now — due to the Bulls' hard cap, that means camp invitees Marko Jaric and Ryan Allen have no chance to be on the opening night roster unless the club makes a trade to clear salary.
- Another Bulls camp invitee who was recently waived, Kyrylo Fesenko may be drawing interest from Spanish team Caja Laboral, according to a report passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. As Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweeted after Fesenko was cut, the Bulls could consider circling back around to Fesenko later this season, when they can afford to re-sign him.
- With one week remaining to work out a long-term extension with the Bulls, Taj Gibson continues to not let his contract situation affect his play, as he tells Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago. "When you’re in this situation, a lot of people are more focused on it than you," Gibson said. "You just have to let it slide off your shoulders. Joakim [Noah] was talking about to me about it a couple of days ago, but I always just shrug it off…. You really can’t do anything about it, except worry about what you can take care of and that’s the court work. Your agent and the GM has to worry about that."
Eastern Notes: Henderson, Sixers, Belinelli
We looked at news from around the Western Conference this morning, and now it's time for the East, where seven lottery teams will look to make their first playoff appearance in awhile this season. The same eight teams made the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2011 and 2012, but at least one of them will have trouble holding onto its spot this year, as the Magic are in full rebuilding mode after the departure of Dwight Howard. Here's the latest on some of the teams trying to take their place, and others hoping they don't follow the Magic's descent.
- The Bobcats are reportedly only interested in extending Gerald Henderson's contract if he signs a team-friendly deal, and offseason trade acquisition Ben Gordon is pushing him for the starting shooting guard job, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter links).
- John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com identifies five questions looming over the Sixers as they prepare to start the season.
- Marco Belinelli's rough preseason for the Bulls reminds Steve Aschburner of NBA.com of the struggles Hedo Turkoglu has suffered over the past few seasons (Twitter link).
- Bolstered by former Bulls reserve John Lucas III and other offseason acquisitions, the Raptors bench is shaping up to be the team's deepest in a long time, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio takes a stab at predicting the Cavs' final roster cuts, guessing that the team will waive Jeremy Pargo and Kevin Jones.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com examines the challenge that Celtics coach Doc Rivers faces as he tries to build chemistry on a team that returns just six players from last season.
Central Rumors: Bulls, Sloan, Pargo, Dunlap
NBA GMs were polled recently about their thoughts on the upcoming season, and one of the more intriguing revelations is that the Pacers received more votes to win the Central Division than the Bulls, who have finished with the league's best record two seasons in a row but are now without Derrick Rose. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is unfazed by the prediction, as Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com notes. Here's more from around the Central.
- It doesn't look like both Donald Sloan and Jeremy Pargo will make the opening-night roster for the Cavs, according to Bob Finnan of The News Herald, who believes Sloan has the best chance to survive cuts (Sulia link). That's a little surprising, since Sloan's deal is without a guarantee, while Pargo has a fully guaranteed deal for $1MM this season.
- With the Cavs' first regular season game just a week away, coach Byron Scott said the only players guaranteed a starting spot are Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
- Mike Dunlap seemed like an out-of-nowhere hire when the Bobcats tabbed him as their new coach this summer, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets that the Bulls interviewed Dunlap for their coaching job in 2008, when they hired current Clippers boss Vinny Del Negro.