Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Toronto, C’s, Bogdanovic
According to 76ers owner Josh Harris, a full-scale implosion of the roster was always the plan in Philadelphia, but it was delayed in part due to the club's success in 2011/12 (link via Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News).
"When I first bought the team, there were elements of the decision-making that I noticed weren't how I would have done it," Harris said. "But at the same time we did so well that first season ('11/12) that I chose to stick with the plan. The second season was a big disappointment and that made me feel empowered that it was the right time to make a bunch of changes. I've always had the same vision, but I took it a little more slowly given the success of the first season."
As the new-look Sixers prepare to get their training camp underway, let's take a look around the rest of the Atlantic Division….
- In a press conference in Toronto, the NBA and the Raptors officially announced that the city will be hosting the 2016 All-Star Game. The Toronto Sun first reported the story last week.
- There are no quick fixes on the way for the Celtics, but the importance of this developmental stage for the team shouldn't be undersold, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Danny Ainge's phone remains "active," but the Celtics GM is looking forward to seeing which of the club's current players stand out, as he tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. "I wouldn’t say this is a perfect mesh of players, but I would like to see how they play together, and win jobs and opportunities, and just how players fit our system and Brad [Stevens]’ style of play," Ainge said. "I like the competitiveness in camp, and I also like the team because there are so many questions to be answered, so many unknowns."
- NetsDaily passes along a report out of Turkey indicating that Bojan Bogdanovic has rejected a contract extension offer from Fenerbahce. If Bogdanovic doesn't ink a new deal, he'd be a free agent next summer, meaning there's a decent chance the Nets' 2011 second-rounder could come stateside.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks exercised Mike Woodson's 2014/15 contract option and that the Nets have signed Marko Jaric to a camp deal.
Eastern Links: Wizards, Pistons, Heat, Raps, Bulls
The Wizards have a number of option decisions due before the end of the month, and not all of them will be easy, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. Jan Vesely is coming off a disappointing year, and Chris Singleton has been sidelined by foot surgery, but president Ernie Grunfeld says the team already has a pretty good idea of where its players stand.
"We have a good feel for where [Singleton] is and what he brings to the table and it is an important year for these guys," Grunfeld said. "That's a decision we'll make at the appropriate time which will probably be at the end of [October]."
Here's more from around the East:
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News breaks down a few of the issues the Pistons need to address during training camp, including Brandon Jennings' fit, Greg Monroe's contract situation, and coaxing positive contributions out of Rodney Stuckey.
- The Heat had been hoping to bring in Rodrigue Beaubois "for an audition," but a wrist injury prevented it, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. It's not clear whether Miami would have invited Beaubois to camp or just had him in for a workout, but either way, the possibility doesn't seem to be on the table at the moment.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the importance of a title for the Heat's potential 2014 free agents, and examines the possibility of a Joel Anthony trade.
- New GM Masai Ujiri is taking a patient approach to retooling the Raptors' roster, and tells Eric Koreen of the National Post that he hopes to eventually wake a "sleeping giant" in Toronto.
- The Bulls may not be the favorites to come out of the East, but there's certainly no shortage of talent and depth on the roster as Chicago prepares to open camp, says Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith also fields readers' questions in a mailbag.
Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Lange, Raptors, Gay
In today's mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes that he doesn't like Chris Wright's chances of catching on with the Raptors in training camp. Smith views Wright as more of a perennial camp and summer league fixture, adding that if anyone is going to make the cut, he would put his money on Carlos Morais. Here's this morning's look at the Atlantic Division..
- The Sixers hired former Villanova assistant Billy Lange to join first-year head coach Brett Brown on his staff, writes Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. Lange joins Chad Iske and Lloyd Pierce as assistants to Brown, who was the last head coach to be hired this offseason. Lange left Villanova in 2004 when he was hired as the head coach at Navy. Lange coached Navy for seven seasons, posting a 93-113 record during that span.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld looks around the league to try and find who might be in line to make their first All-Star team in 2013/14. First on the list is the Raptors' prized acquisition from last season, Rudy Gay. He’s only averaged over 20 PPG once in his career, but he should get there this season on a team where he is the unequivocal leader.
- Jon Marks of Sheridan Hoops gives us five things to watch when it comes to the Sixers. Marks wonders when Nerlens Noel will make his debut and even throws out the idea that this Sixers team could put up one of the worst records in NBA history. That's a distinction belonging to the 9-73 Sixers of 1972-73 (.123) or the 7-59 Charlotte Bobcats of the 2011-12 lockout season, depending on who you ask.
Raptors Sign Stone, Wright, Morais
SEPTEMBER 19TH: The Raptors have officially confirmed the signings of Stone and Wright, via a press release. The release also includes confirmation of Carlos Morais' deal, which we heard about over the weekend.
SEPTEMBER 13TH: The Raptors have 14 players currently on guaranteed contracts, but figure to have at least 17 players in camp next month, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (via Twitter). Smith identifies two of the team's camp invitees as Julyan Stone and Chris Wright.
Stone agreed to terms with the Raptors earlier in the offseason, but that deal fell through when the 24-year-old failed a physical with the club. A report last month indicated that the two sides had remained in touch, and the new arrangement suggests that the Raps still have interest in bringing Stone to camp if little or no guaranteed money is involved. As I noted when Toronto first reached an agreement with the guard, the presence of new GM Masai Ujiri in the team's front office was likely a significant factor in the signing the former Nugget.
As for the Raptors' other invitee, there are two Chris Wrights with NBA experience, so we'll have to wait for further word from Smith or confirmation from the team to be 100% sure which one is heading to Toronto. But I'm assuming the Wright in question is the forward from Dayton, rather than the guard from Georgetown. The Dayton product participated in camp with the Raps a year ago, so it makes sense that the team would bring him back for another look, and perhaps to give him another shot at a regular-season roster spot.
Southeast Rumors: Wizards, Magic, Heat
The way the Magic, Hawks and Bobcats stand with training camp approaching figures to make for some intrigue in the weeks ahead, as I examined this weekend. Those three teams have fewer than 13 guaranteed contracts, so there are regular season jobs up for grabs. The same might not be true for the Heat and the Wizards, though Michael Beasley's presence could make it interesting for Miami, and there are other developments for Washington's team, as we detail:
- Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld remains in charge, but D.C.'s front office is getting a makeover, the team announced on its website. Tommy Sheppard gets a promotion and will presumably serve as Grunfeld's right-hand man. The Wizards have brought in other officials from the Raptors, Thunder and Hawks.
- Washington's offseason additions will allow the Wizards to play more small-ball this season, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines. The opposite approach is taking place in Orlando, where No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo will play the point and Maurice Harkless will see some action at two guard, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets.
- In today's mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Michael Beasley could eventually find his way into the Heat's starting lineup ahead of Udonis Haslem. Winderman doesn't see that as a likely outcome, as the starting five is already overloaded with scorers. Beyond that, Beasley has to prove himself as being worthy of a roster spot and worth an extra $2MM+ when factoring in his salary along with the luxury tax.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Stone, Morais, 76ers
The Celtics pushed the reset button this offseason when they sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn in a package that will give them MarShon Brooks, draft picks, and a whole lot of financial flexibility. On the surface, it looked like a smart way for Danny Ainge & Co. to jump start the rebuilding process. However, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com has another theory as to why KG and Pierce were jettisoned from Boston after unearthing a picture of the duo wearing sunglasses at night and posing with Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Here's today's look at the Atlantic Division..
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun sees an interesting chase for the Raptors' 15th and final spot unfolding in the weeks ahead (Twitter links). Julyan Stone, Chris Wright, and Angolan standout Carlos Morais will audition for the last bench position and Wolstat expects Stone, if healthy, to be the frontrunner for the gig. Wright might be the least likely of the three to stick with small forwards Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan, and Terrence Ross in the fold with Quincy Acy also possibly seeing some time at the three. Wolstat says that the Raps could use both a scoring guard like Morais and a defensive guy like Stone (link).
- No real surprise here, but Doug Smith of the Toronto Star doesn't expect anyone competing for the Raptors' final spot to get a fully guaranteed deal.
- Commissioner David Stern is hoping that the 76ers make the playoffs this season, writes Roy Burton of SBNation. Some fans might be behind the "Riggin' For [Andrew] Wiggins" campaign, but Stern certainly doesn't endorse that line of thinking. "That is so… small," said Stern at the Beyond Sport Summit. "I hope they have a great season and don't have the chance for the No. 1 pick." Of course, the worst record only gives you a 25% chance at the top pick in the draft lottery.
- Agent Charles Briscoe told HoopsHype (via Twitter) that former Sixers combo guard Xavier Silas will work out for the Jazz today and tomorrow. Silas appeared in two games for Philly in 2011/12 and suffered a concussion in summer league with the 76ers later that year.
Odds & Ends: Fratello, Draft, Wright
Mike Fratello, who is in charge of Ukraine's national team at EuroBasket, believes that now is the time for a European head coach to break the barrier and take the reins of an NBA team, writes Mark Woods for ESPN.com. "It will take a GM from somewhere who has a very understanding owner, a GM believing and trusting in the person that he's going to select and convincing his owner to trust that this guy can coach," the veteran coach said. Italian coach Ettore Messina has been linked to several jobs in recent years – including the Nets and Hawks – but he remains overseas. Here's more from around the Association..
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld runs down the picks that have changed hands in the 2014 Draft. The Jazz, Magic, and Celtics are all guaranteed multiple first-round picks, meaning that they're not dependent on anyone else's performance in 2013/14. Meanwhile, the Suns have their fingers crossed that they'll wind up with three first round picks in the talent rich draft.
- Tommy Dee of Ridiculous Upside explains why Chris Wright is ready to stick with the Raptors. The athletic tweener showed that he has talent in his time in the D-League, but he'll be going against guards Julyan Stone and Carlos Morais for the 15th and final spot. Of course, the Raptors could also roll with 14 players to start the season.
- Last week, Hoops Rumors debuted the brand new International Player Movement Tracker with the help of Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival. Be sure to check it out today.
Eastern Notes: Jordan, Heat, Magic, Raptors
Three Eastern Conference teams are carrying only 11 fully guaranteed deals, as I noted when I looked at how training camp rosters are shaping up for each team in the East. That means there should be plenty of intrigue ahead over the next several weeks for the Sixers, Cavaliers and Bulls as they decide how they'll look come opening night. Here's more from the East:
- Former Knicks center Jerome Jordan has reached a deal to play in Italy with Virtus Bologna, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports. Jordan played summer league ball for the Knicks and Pacers this year. The Knicks considered formally bringing him back to the team, but it appears the former second-round pick will instead play overseas this season.
- Chris Bosh's ability to establish himself as the Heat's second option over Dwyane Wade may be the key to convincing LeBron James to stick around, opines Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
- Maurice Harkless and Tobias Harris are two of the jewels of the Magic's rebuilding efforts, but they could wind up fighting each other for minutes this season, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star addresses a few Raptors items in his mailbag column. The team invited three players to training camp in the past few days.
Odds & Ends: Kings Arena, Kobe, Raptors
The number of signatures necessary to vote on the public subsidy of a new Kings arena in Sacramento appears to be closing in on the minimum needed for the 2014 ballot, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
But the success of that ballot measure hinges on the ability of Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork (STOP) to find the thousands of signatures financed by Chris Hansen. Hansen was recently fined $50K for contributing $100K to STOP in an effort curb Sacramento's plan to fund a new arena in an effort to buy the team and move it to Seattle.
Here are some some more links from around the league during a slow Saturday in September as most of the NBA world is watching the Mayweather-Alvarez fight…
- Nike PR Director Heidi Burgett shared a video of a Nike talk, via Twitter, where Kobe Bryant discussed what was going through his head after he tore his Achilles tendon during the April game that ended his 2012/13 season prematurely (h/t SI's Ben Golliver).
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star confirms Angolan media reports that MVP of the African championships Carlos Morais will be in training camp with the Raptors (Twitter).
- Former Mavs and Pistons player Mark Aguirre told the Star-Telegram's Full Court Press blog that basketball on both coasts has shifted with the Clippers overtaking the Lakers in Los Angeles and the Nets overtaking the Knicks in New York.
- Star-Telegram beat writer Dwain Price adds, in a tweet, that when asked about the Heat's chances for a 3-peat, Aguirre said, "I don’t know if any of the other teams that are pushing them 4 the title understand how 2 win the big game.''
- Matt Moore of CBS Sports believes there would have been a more formal investigation if the revelations are true about three members of the 1981/82 Knicks colluding to throw games for their drug dealer.
Eastern Rumors: LeBron, Cavs, Beasley, McGrady
The Eastern Conference figures to be more competitive this time around, with Derrick Rose back to boost the Bulls, an improved Pacers squad, and the best team money can buy for the Nets all around to challenge the Heat. Still, the majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in yesterday's poll think the East will once more field the league's worst team, picking the Sixers to finish last. Here's the latest from the conference that has produced the last two champions and the last two teams to finish with the league's worst record:
- The Cavaliers surely wouldn't mind it if LeBron James has a change of heart and wants to rejoin the wine-and-gold next summer, but the team isn't counting on him coming back to Cleveland, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer writes in her weekly mailbag column. Boyer also says she believes the Cavs are looking for another big man and a backup point guard, and she doesn't think a poor season for the team will mean the ouster of GM Chris Grant.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports confirms that Michael Beasley's minimum-salary contract with the Heat is essentially a training camp invitation, with no guaranteed money (Twitter link).
- Tracy McGrady reveals to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star that he wishes he never left the Raptors for Orlando in 2000, and he feels like the heavy minutes he played for the Magic took a toll on his body, which broke down long before most others do.
- We rounded up news on Atlantic Division teams earlier today.