Mavs, Devin Harris Share Interest In Return
Point guard Devin Harris demonstrated his value to the Mavs in their seven-game challenge of the Spurs, scoring 11.4 points in 25.1 minutes per game and nailing 44.0% of his three-point attempts. That no doubt plays a role in his inclusion as part of Tim McMahon’s short list on ESPNDallas.com of Mavs free agents with whom the team has mutual interest.
Harris returned to Dallas, where he had played his first three and a half seasons, on a one-year contract for the minimum salary this past summer. It was supposed to be a three-year, $9MM pact, but a toe injury scuttled those plans and kept him out until January 18th. He returned to a role that was his most marginalized on an NBA team since his rookie season, scoring 7.9 points in 20.5 minutes per game with career-worst 37.8% shooting from the floor. The 10th-year veteran nonetheless compiled his best assists-to-turnover ratio, averaging 4.5 dimes and 1.5 turnovers per game.
McMahon reported the Mavs’ mutual interest with Shawn Marion last week, and Marion said this weekend that he would indeed like to come back to Dallas, though he added that he’s “weighing my options,” as fellow ESPNDallas.com scribe Bryan Gutierrez observes. The other Mav on McMahon’s list is Vince Carter, and Dallas GM Donnie Nelson said a month ago that he wants Carter back. Marc Stein of ESPN.com emphasizes Carter’s contentment in Dallas in passing along that the Raptors are considering the idea of pursuing the 37-year-old Carter in the offseason.
Harris probably won’t attract too much attention on the free agent market given his regular season numbers, but Dallas has his Non-Bird rights to trump any minimum-salary suitors. The Mavs can give him a contract of up to four years, with a starting salary of $1,526,735, or 120% of his pay this season. That’s only slightly more than the minimum, but it does provide for higher raises than a straight minimum-salary arrangement would, which might prove a key selling point for the Excel Sports Management client.
And-Ones: Lowry, Noah, Warriors, Celtics
Shortly after losing to the Nets in Game 7, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry gave a quote in the locker room that could be a hint towards his offseason plans. “This is only the start for us and the Raptors organization,” said the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN (on Twitter). Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- Joakim Noah is reportedly trying to recruit Carmelo Anthony to the Bulls and he’s no stranger to that game, notes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The big man took free agent Carlos Boozer out to dinner during his visit to Chicago and helped lure him in during the 2010 offseason.
- Determining coach Mark Jackson‘s future with the Warriors won’t be an easy call, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
- In his final individual report card for the Celtics‘ season, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. evaluates the players that didn’t end the season in green and white: Jordan Crawford, Courtney Lee, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Vander Blue.
- Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann told colleague Chris Mannix (on Twitter) that if Clippers owner Donald Sterling files a lawsuit, “it will not be resolved by the start of the season.”
And-Ones: Ollie, Bobcats, Kelly, Lowry
Saturday will feature an unprecedented three Game 7’s in a single day, and Sunday could bring the same if the Nets, Rockets and Mavs all win tonight. While we look forward to a pivotal weekend of basketball, here’s the latest from around the league:
- Lakers coaching candidate Kevin Ollie has begun talks about a new deal with Connecticut, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Still, he remains open to interest from the Lakers and other NBA teams, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM, a point that Wojnarowski seconds. No NBA team has formally reached out to him yet, Charania also tweets, though Ollie has fans among executives on many NBA teams, including Thunder GM Sam Presti, Wojnarowski writes.
- Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is prepared to spend freely this summer, president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said, pointing to the presence of Al Jefferson, Kemba Walker and Steve Clifford as a selling point. Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders has the details.
- Ryan Kelly credited Mike D’Antoni‘s system as a reason for his strong performance this year, but the rookie tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that there’s “no question” that he’d like to re-sign with the team even though the coach is gone. Medina believes the Lakers will indeed bring him back.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn’t think there’ll be much call for point guards who’d command significant long-term money this summer, suggesting that will depress the market for Kyle Lowry.
And-Ones: Warriors, Constitution, Sterling
Mark Jackson strongly denied a report that said he asked Warriors adviser Jerry West not to attend most practices or team activities, USA Today’s Sam Amick writes.
“That’s a lie,” Jackson said. “Come on. That’s a lie. That’s disrespectful.”
West has indeed been attending practice of late, a source confirms to Amick, though the “wide and strong” belief is that Jackson would prefer West not be over his shoulder. Here’s more from around the league that uses West’s likeness in its logo:
- Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders takes a look at a few of the intriguing clauses in the NBA’s Constitution and By-Laws, which the league released for the first time in light of its use in the punishment of Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
- The NBA’s advisory/finance committee will hold a conference call Thursday to begin the process of arranging a vote to take the Clippers away from Sterling, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details.
- Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke isn’t worried about the notion of Kyle Lowry and coach Dwane Casey walking away this summer when their contracts expire, as he said on SportsNet 590 The Fan, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke said.
- Bulls GM Gar Forman has yet to begin negotiations with Nikola Mirotic but he’s confident that the European star will play for the Bulls at some point, as Forman told reporters today, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Colangelo, Hoiberg, Warriors, Knicks
Grantland’s Zach Lowe examines the value of players making between $5MM and $10MM a year, several of whom are having a significant effect in the playoffs. Sources in NBA front offices tell Lowe that they’re reluctant to sign players who command such salaries because they fear the criticism of reporters conditioned to believe such “middle class” players aren’t worth the money. Still, acting union executive director Ron Klempner tells Lowe that he’s observed no drastic change in the league’s willingness to pay players at that rate. Here’s more from around the league:
- Bryan Colangelo‘s name has been linked to the Pistons‘ front office vacancy on multiple occasions of late, and SportsNet’s Michael Grange hears that he’s indeed a leading candidate for the job. Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment group that owns the Raptors, praised the former Toronto GM for his work with the team in an interview with Grange that’s included in the piece.
- Fred Hoiberg would probably be ahead of Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ wish list if they were to seek a new head coach for next season, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Hoiberg spoke this week on 1700 AM radio in Des Moines to express that while interest from NBA teams flatters him, he’s content as Iowa State’s head coach, as Nate Sandell of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities points out.
- The Warriors aren’t pleased with Mark Jackson‘s depleted coaching staff, according to Kawakami, and if Jackson remains head coach, they’ll pressure him to upgrade it, Kawakami believes, pointing to the issue as a possible stumbling block for Jackson’s return next season.
- The Knicks interviewed Bill Cartwright for an assistant coaching job, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who points to Cartwright’s ties to Kerr as further indication that Kerr will be the team’s next head coach.
And-Ones: McGary, Daniels, Rockets, Raptors
There were a lot of no-brainer decisions when it came to early entry players in the 2014 Draft, but it was questionable for others. Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looks at who made the right call and who didn’t. Michigan’s Mitch McGary, Syracuse’s Tyler Ennis, and UCLA’s Kyle Anderson get the thumbs up. JaKarr Sampson of St. John’s, Alex Kirk of New Mexico, and New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar are among the players who Goodman thinks should have stayed in school. More from around the Association..
- Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has an idea for ridding the NBA of Clippers owner Donald Sterling: letting all of his players become free agents. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has the goods.
- The Hawks, Bulls, Cavs, Bucks and Magic all had interest in Troy Daniels this February before the Rockets inked the sudden playoff hero shortly after the trade deadline, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. Daniels was close to taking an offer from Australia for $70K last fall, Zwerling tweets. His agent advised him to instead dominate in the D-League to get an NBA offer and his gameplan worked.
- Toney Douglas tells Zwerling for the same piece that the Heat had interest in him ever since he came out of college. Miami acquired Douglas via trade in January.
- It’s in Kyle Lowry‘s best interests to re-sign with the Raptors, writes Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. Lowry has never been happier, never played better, and never meant more to any of his teams at any time. The veteran guard hasn’t said much about his future, but Simmons thinks it would be best for him to stay put in Toronto.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Vasquez, Sixers, Magic
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer details how Steve Clifford‘s preparation and demeanor has impacted his players and brought credibility to the Bobcats in his first season as coach. “He doesn’t screw around,” Charlotte’s president of basketball operations Rod Higgins tells Bonnell. “There’s no such thing as a loose shootaround, a loose practice, a loose film session. There are so many things you can’t impact [as a coach]. He makes sure not to waste an opportunity with what he can.”
- Greivis Vasquez, headed for restricted free agency this summer, is “having a blast” as a member of the Raptors, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
- Mark Deeks of SB Nation looks at the steps ahead for the Sixers, who have a wealth of draft picks and trade flexibility heading into the summer.
- Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel looks at the Magic‘s odds of landing Dante Exum in the draft [subscription only], taking into account Orlando’s likely draft position and the Australian point guard’s willingness to play for a team other than the Lakers.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Green, Lowry, Knicks, ‘Melo
The lone Atlantic Division representatives in the playoffs are duking it out in what’s become a compelling series, with the Raptors saving themselves from an 0-2 hole in Tuesday’s night’s victory against the Nets. While we wait for Friday’s Game 3, here’s the latest from around the Atlantic:
- No one on the Celtics is guaranteed to return next season, writes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, who takes stock of each player’s chances of coming back. Jeff Green is “eminently available” for a trade, according to Murphy.
- Kyle Lowry will surely have plenty of offers to leave the Raptors in free agency this summer, but he’s enjoying Toronto’s revival this season, telling reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post, “I love my team and I’ll tell anybody that.” (Twitter link).
- Phil Jackson is surprised that so many have expressed interest in the Knicks head coaching job even though he wants to institute the triangle, as he said today to reporters, including Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link).
- Jackson appears comfortable with the idea of watching Carmelo Anthony leave this summer, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv believes, judging by the Zen Master’s willingness to make Anthony follow through on his idea of playing for less than the max.
- Connecticut point guard and Massachusetts native Shabazz Napier spoke about his dreams of playing for the Celtics, but it’s unlikely that the Celtics will be in position to draft him in June, observes Brian Robb of Boston.com.
Eastern Notes: Magic, Raptors, George
Michael Marot of The Associated Press looks at Paul George‘s hopes to become a superstar in a small market. George has said that he wants to crack the top-five in NBA jersey sales, and his success in the playoffs could propel him to some major endorsement deals. Here’s more from the East:
- Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal wonders if Andrew Bynum‘s career could be over. The big man has been ruled out of the Pacers first round playoff series, and hasn’t been able to sustain a high level of play for any long stretches this year.
- While this draft should be pivotal for the Magic, there is also pressure on their young roster to develop in the offseason, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Maurice Harkless, Tobias Harris, Andrew Nicholson, Victor Oladipo, Kyle O’Quinn and Nikola Vucevic all have the potential to speed along Orlando’s rebuilding process with improvements in their game.
- Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail looks at how the moves the Raptors did and didn’t make brought the team from the bottom of the standings to the third seed in the East.
Projected 2014 First-Round Draft Order
The NBA has announced the winners of random drawings that broke ties in the draft order among teams that finished with the same records. Only one of those drawings involved lottery teams, and the Jazz were the beneficiaries, snagging the fourth-most lottery combinations instead of the Celtics. It’s only a slight advantage, since the Jazz will have a 10.4% chance at the top pick, while the Celtics will have a 10.3% chance, but perhaps most importantly, Utah will pick ahead of Boston if neither move up on May 20th, when the lottery is held.
Here’s the complete order, with places determined by drawing in bold:
- Bucks
- Sixers
- Magic
- Jazz — won drawing against Celtics
- Celtics — lost drawing against Jazz
- Lakers
- Kings
- Pistons — will send pick to Bobcats if the fall to ninth or lower in lottery
- Cavaliers
- Pelicans — will send pick to Sixers unless they win one of top three picks in lottery
- Nuggets — will send least favorable of own pick and Knicks’ pick to Magic
- Knicks — will send pick to Nuggets
- Timberwolves — will send pick to Suns if Phoenix passes them in the lottery
- Suns
- Hawks
- Bulls — from Bobcats
- Celtics — from Nets; won drawing against Suns
- Suns — from Wizards; lost drawing against Celtics
- Bulls — won drawing against Raptors
- Raptors — lost drawing against Bulls
- Thunder — from Mavs
- Grizzlies
- Jazz — from Warriors
- Bobcats — from Trail Blazers; won three-way drawing against Rockets and Heat
- Rockets — finished second in three-way drawing against Bobcats and Heat
- Heat — finished third in three-way drawing against Bobcats and Rockets
- Suns — from Pacers
- Clippers
- Thunder
- Spurs