Odds & Ends: Raptors, Gay, Bulls, Hibbert, Draft
Links from around the Association as the Thunder and Lakers do battle at the Staples Center…
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at possible draft day trades for the Raptors. Possible targets include Rudy Gay of the Grizzlies and Luol Deng of the Bulls should they choose to restructure their roster in anticipation of Derrick Rose's return in 2013.
- You might think that a player in his contract year would be focused on building up his stats, but Pacers center Roy Hibbert isn't overly concerned with that, writes Conrad Brunner of Pacers.com.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com hosts a roundtable to ask if the Western Conference is still the stronger of the two.
- HoopsWorld compiled the complete history of every draft pick from No.1 all the way to No. 60.
Mavericks, Nets Among Teams Eyeing Jeremy Lin
If the NBPA is successful in its appeal to allow players claimed on waivers to retain their Bird rights, the Knicks will head into the offseason in much better position to keep their free agents. But either way, New York figures to make locking up Jeremy Lin a top priority this summer.
The Knicks won't be the only team looking to sign Lin though. According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the Mavericks, Nets, Raptors, Trail Blazers, and Warriors are among the clubs eyeing the point guard.
Because Lin will be a restricted free agent that has played two years or less in the NBA, he'll be subject to the Gilbert Arenas provision. Rival teams will be able to offer Lin lucrative, back-loaded deals, but the Knicks will be able to match any offer sheet using their mid-level exception, since the first-year salary can't exceed $5MM.
We've heard the Raptors mentioned as a possible suitor for Lin, and the Mavs and Nets both make sense, depending on whether they miss out on Deron Williams. The Blazers also figure to have plenty of cap space and a need for a point guard, as I outlined earlier today. It's hard to imagine the Warriors being serious contenders for Lin, since they won't have cap room, and have a more glaring hole at small forward.
Poll: Where Will Steve Nash End Up?
One of the most high-profile players to hit free agency this summer will be Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash. The 38-year-old continues to express interest in returning to the Suns, although there is heavy speculation that he will instead sign with a contender such as the Heat. He’s also been linked to the Blazers, Knicks, and Raptors in various scenarios. Where do you think Nash will play in 2012/13?
Where Will Steve Nash Play In 2012/13?
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Miami 25% (304)
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New York 23% (276)
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Toronto 18% (219)
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Phoenix 16% (188)
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Other 14% (167)
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Portland 4% (53)
Total votes: 1,207
Raptors An Option For Nash, Lin?
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News suggests in a column that the Raptors may make free-agent offers to point guards Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin, though they're a long shot to land either player.
Lawrence suggests that, despite Nash's Canadian roots being a potential draw for Toronto, he wants to play for a contender, which rules out the Raptors.
Lin's situation is more complicated, Lawrence writes. Since the Knicks phenom is a restricted free agent with less than two years of NBA experience, offers from other teams are limited by the Gilbert Arenas rule, which forbids teams from going above the $5MM midlevel exception on offer sheets. Because of this, the Raptors will have to back-load any offer they make to Lin, and even though the Knicks are limited financially, Lawrence believes he is too valuable from a marketing standpoint to let go.
Offseason Outlook: Toronto Raptors
Guaranteed Contracts
- Jose Calderon ($10,561,982)
- Andrea Bargnani ($10,000,000)
- Amir Johnson ($6,050,000)
- Linas Kleiza ($4,600,000)
- DeMar DeRozan ($3,344,250)
- Jonas Valanciunas ($2,812,200)
- James Johnson ($2,812,006)
- Ed Davis ($2,207,040)
- Gary Forbes ($1,500,000)
Options
- Solomon Alabi ($890,000, Team)
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Alan Anderson ($885,120)
- Ben Uzoh ($854,389)
Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Jerryd Bayless ($7,605,700)
- Aaron Gray ($3,000,000)
- Sonny Weems ($1,060,120 – QO)
- Jamaal Magloire ($854,389)
- (Julian Wright – $7,145,143)
- (Rasho Nesterovic – $2,388,000)
- (Alexis Ajinca – $2,263,409)
- (Joey Dorsey – $854,389)
- (Pape Sow – $854,389)
- (Patrick O'Bryant – $854,389)
- (Uros Slokar – $762,195)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (Pending lottery; 3.5% chance at first overall pick)
- 2nd Round (37th overall)
- 2nd Round (56th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $43,887,478
- Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $30,271,632
- Total (not including draft picks): $74,159,110
While most teams head into the offseason not entirely sure whether or not they'll land an impact player, the Raptors are assured of adding at least one such player to their rotation. Last year's fifth overall pick Jonas Valanciunas is expected to arrive in North America for the 2012/13 season, and he could be just the first of many interesting new faces in Toronto.
Even after adding Valanciunas to their books, the Raptors have an enviable cap situation. With just under $44MM in guaranteed salary committed to nine players, the Raps are in good position to renounce their cap holds and gain some cap space this summer. Although the team missed out on a potential offseason target when Wilson Chandler signed a long-term extension with the Nuggets, there are still a number of free agents that could interest Toronto, including Andrei Kirilenko and new Team Canada GM Steve Nash.
With Valanciunas, Andrea Bargnani, and DeMar DeRozan expected to be building blocks for the franchise going forward, the Raptors will be seeking a long-term solution at point guard and small forward. Jose Calderon ($10.56MM) and James Johnson ($2.81MM) are the incumbents, but both players will face free agency after next season. Johnson is certainly a player worth keeping around, but he may be better served coming off the bench, making Kirilenko an intriguing possibility for the starting lineup.
Calderon, meanwhile, was efficient on the offensive end, but isn't strong defensively. Even at age 38, Nash is the superior player, albeit with a similar skill set. Taking into account the appeal a Canadian star could have in Toronto, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Raptors make Nash a competitive multiyear offer. However, if the two-time MVP's top priority is a championship ring, he may turn down the Raps' money for a chance to win elsewhere.
With Calderon under contract for next season, the Raptors may not pursue a non-Nash point guard in free agency, though it's an area they could target in the draft. Given this year's underwhelming class of point guards, the Raps would likely have their pick of the litter at eighth overall, and could nab Weber State's Damian Lillard. The club could also use its lottery pick on a scorer like Austin Rivers or Dion Waiters to replace Jerryd Bayless if the combo guard departs in free agency.
If the cap space, lottery pick, and new arrival from overseas weren't enough, the Raptors also have a handful of interesting trade chips at their disposal. Ed Davis could be expendable in a frontcourt that includes Valanciunas, Bargnani, and Amir Johnson, and his affordable contract should draw plenty of interest. If they want to get adventurous, the Raptors could even explore trades for Bargnani, though I doubt they'd go in that direction unless they repeated Cleveland's 2011 feat — landing the first overall pick with the eighth-best odds. Pairing Valanciunas with Anthony Davis would give the team a tremendous foundation and would provide the opportunity to shop Bargnani for wing or backcourt help.
General manager Bryan Colangelo and other members of the Raptors have strongly suggested the team expects to contend for the playoffs next season. Considering the progress made under coach Dwane Casey in his first year in Toronto, it's not an unrealistic goal. Adding Valanciunas this summer is a near certainty, but the club's postseason chances may depend on the rest of its offseason moves. Armed with a lottery pick, trade chips, and cap room, the Raps have a great opportunity to take a big step forward.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Notes: Lin, Nash, DeRozan, Celtics
As the Celtics and Sixers look to close out their respective first round series tonight, let's round up a few odds and ends out of the Atlantic Division:
- Speaking to reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, Knicks coach Mike Woodson ruled out Jeremy Lin for the rest of the team's series against the Heat, even if it goes seven games.
- Steve Nash was officially named the general manager of Canada's national team today, and talked to ESPN.com's Marc Stein about his new role. During the press conference in Toronto, Nash said he hasn't made any decisions about free agency yet, but that he wouldn't rule out signing with the Raptors (Twitter link via Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun).
- Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan has been named to the Team USA select team, Jerry Colangelo announced today (link via Jay Satur of Raptors.com). DeRozan will join Kyrie Irving, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and others on the squad, which will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team this summer.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe thinks it would be premature for the Celtics to break up their Big Three this summer.
Minor Moves: Justin Dentmon
We'll track today's news from the D-League and overseas in this post, with latest update on top:
- Justin Dentmon arrived in Italy today to join Italian league club Olympia Milano, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who reported he signed with the team last week. Dentmon, who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors this season, was the D-League's MVP this season, averaging 22.8 PPG and 5.5 APG for the Austin Toros.
Odds & Ends: Wallace, Draft, Raptors, Blazers
Thursday afternoon links from around the NBA:
- Ben Wallace is still on the fence about retirement, Pistons teammates Tayshaun Prince tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. "One side is telling him it is time to spend time with the family and relax a little bit," Prince said. "And then the other side is saying I still have more left in the tank."
- With the NBA having officially released the full list of early entrants for June's draft, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com provide brief commentaries on each of the players in the draft pool, from Anthony Davis to Erik Austin (who?).
- Speaking of the draft, this year's lottery has been officially scheduled for May 30th at 7:00pm CT at Times Square Studios in New York, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. You can find the tentative draft order and lottery odds here.
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun examines a number of free agents the Raptors might keep an eye on this summer.
- The Trail Blazers could look into signing one or both of former draft picks Joel Freeland and Victor Claver this offseason, acting GM Chad Buchanan told Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.
Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bulls, Magic, Frye
Here are this evening's miscellaneous stories:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the more significant things he talked about were the chances that Tyreke Evans gets shopped this summer, the Nets pursuing Kevin Garnett if Deron Williams leaves, the Hornets matching any offer for Eric Gordon, and Portland being the realistic destination for Goran Dragic.
- With $12MM in cap space before the draft, Bryan Colangelo talked about the Raptors' approach going into the offseason: "If there was going to be a year to make a bigger splash, whether in free agency or utilizing the space to acquire players by trade, I felt that would be better served in a subsequent season and that’s probably this summer" (Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld reports). Colangelo also told Brotherston that he and Ed Stefanski will be very active in terms of placing and entertaining calls with other GMs in the upcoming weeks and months.
- Scoop Jackson, Melissa Isaacson, and Jon Greenberg of ESPN cover a few topics on the Bulls, including how Derrick Rose's injury will affect Chicago's title hopes over the next two years, whether Luol Deng should immediately get surgery and skip the Olympics, and Carlos Boozer's reliability in the playoffs.
- Magic GM Otis Smith traveled to Los Angeles to check on Dwight Howard as he recuperates from surgery, according to Illiana Limón and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. While there had been speculation that Howard is estranged from the franchise, Smith and Magic CEO Alex Martins say that he hasn't asked for a trade.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times provides a "to-do list" for the Nuggets if they are to have any chance at beating the Lakers.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks should make strategic defensive adjustments on Russell Westbrook or just hope that he starts missing mid-range jumpshots.
- An article posted on Suns.com reports that Channing Frye underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder today.
Sonny Weems Drawing Interest
After spending the season in Lithuania, Sonny Weems is anxious to return to North America and test the NBA free agent waters this summer. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports that a number of teams have already expressed interest in Weems, with the Celtics among the clubs expected to pursue him.
Having sat out the season, Weems remains under the Raptors' control. He'll be eligible for restricted free agency, so the Raps would have the option to extend him a qualifying offer and then match any rival offers. It's not clear, however, whether Weems is a part of the Raptors' plan going forward.
"I haven’t heard anything (from the Raptors)," Weems said. "It doesn’t matter to me either way. My agent, Roger Montgomery, has been talking to many different teams and a lot of them are very interested. I’m just very excited for free agency. If I don’t go back to Toronto, it wouldn’t be a heart-breaker for me because it gives me a chance to start over and join another team."
Weems, 25, has played for the Nuggets and Raptors in his three NBA seasons. In 2010/11, he averaged 9.2 points in 23.9 minutes per game over the course of 59 contests.