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Western Notes: Janning, Wolves, Lakers, Kobe

By | at August 15, 2013 3:38 pm

Here are a few Thursday afternoon items from around the Western Conference:

  • After Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweeted last night that former Northeastern guard Matt Janning would work out for the Timberwolves, Shams Charania of RealGM.com confirmed (via Twitter) that the workout happened today. While he could receive a camp invite from the Wolves (Twitter link via Wolfson), Janning has an agreement in place with a Croatian team, and Charania suggests he probably won't receive enough NBA interest to pull out of that deal.
  • In a conversation with Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, J.J. Barea raved about the Timberwolves' offseason moves and expressed confidence about the team's 2013/14 season.
  • In a piece for the Hollywood Reporter, Ric Bucher quotes Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss as saying Dwight Howard was "never really a Laker," and that D12 was "just passing through."
  • Asked whether he expects Kobe Bryant to be a Laker three year from now, GM Mitch Kupchak replied, "If he can play at a high level, I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be" (Twitter link via Mark Willard of ESPN LA 710).
  • After speaking to executives around the NBA, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Insider link) names Stephen Curry as one of his dark-horse MVP candidates for next season.
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Remaining Unsigned 2013 Draft Picks

By | at August 15, 2013 12:34 pm

Over the last several weeks, we've been keeping tabs on the NBA contracts signed by this year's first- and second-round draft picks. Because first-rounders are subject to the NBA's rookie scale, typically there isn't much negotiation required, so most of 2013's top picks have been locked up. However, for second-rounders, the outlook is a little murkier. This year's late selections have signed for a wide variety of years and dollars with their respective NBA clubs or with teams overseas.

So far, 24 of this season's 30 first-round picks have signed with their NBA clubs, while one (Lucas Nogueira) is set to spend another year in Spain. These five first-rounders remain unsigned:

  • Anthony Bennett, Cavaliers (1)
  • Alex Len, Suns (5)
  • Nerlens Noel, Sixers (6)
  • Michael Carter-Williams, Sixers (11)
  • Livio Jean-Charles, Spurs (28)

In some cases it makes sense that these players haven't signed yet. The Sixers, for instance, still have a significant chunk of cap space available, and can maximize that room by keeping Noel's and Carter-Williams' cap holds on the books, rather than their final salaries (which will likely be 20% higher). Philadelphia will eventually sign the two lottery picks, but for now the team continues to maintain as much flexibility as possible, should a trade opportunity arise.

As for Jean-Charles, he appears likely to play overseas in 2013/14, so it's not surprising that he hasn't signed with the Spurs. It's not entirely clear why Bennett and Len haven't signed yet, but like the aforementioned Sixers duo, it'll just be a matter of time.

Here are the second-rounders who have yet to sign and aren't confirmed to be spending 2013/14 overseas:

  • Grant Jerrett, Thunder (40)
  • Marko Todorovic, Rockets (45)
  • Raul Neto, Jazz (47)
  • Ryan Kelly, Lakers (48)
  • Romero Osby, Magic (51)
  • Lorenzo Brown, Timberwolves (52)
  • Deshaun Thomas, Spurs (58)
  • Janis Timma, Grizzlies (60)

None of these players are assured of NBA roster spots this year, and in fact, it looks like many of them will end up playing elsewhere. Todorovic will likely remain with FC Barcelona, the Jazz may not have a spot available for Neto, Thomas is reportedly close to signing in Spain, and there probably won't be room for Timma in Memphis, where the Grizzlies already have 17 players under contract.

Brown appears to be a good bet to participate in training camp with the Timberwolves, with a chance to earn the team's 15th roster spot, and the Magic may extend the same opportunity to Osby. In that case, the Wolves and Magic would lose Brown's and Osby's respective NBA rights if they don't make the teams' regular-season rosters.

For Jerrett, his NBA future figures to depend on how many of their non-guaranteed players the Thunder decide to retain for next season. The club only has 12 players on guaranteed contracts, but Hasheem Thabeet, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, and Ryan Gomes all have non-guaranteed deals. Meanwhile, we haven't heard much about Kelly and the Lakers, but L.A. should definitely have room for him, depending on what other moves the team makes this offseason.

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Silver Talks About PED Use In NBA

By | at August 13, 2013 8:02 pm

Performance enhancing drugs are an ongoing problem in contemporary professional sports, and according to Adam Silver, the NBA's deputy commissioner, the league will look to combat such drugs as human growth hormone (HGH) with blood testing in the future, writes New York Post reporter Tim Bontemps. The league does not currently test for HGH.

As Major League Baseball continues to battle through its own ongoing Biogenesis scandal, Silver says that, as far as he's aware, the NBA doesn't have any players involved. But even though the NBA has the same penalty structure as baseball, the implementation of HGH testing can't happen until the NBA Player's Association hires a new executive director and names a new president, something they're still in the process of completing. 

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Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

By | at August 13, 2013 4:59 pm

If you want to keep tabs on all of Hoops Rumors' stories and updates, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. However, if you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NBA team, we have you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

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The NBA’s Head Coaching Carousel

By | at August 13, 2013 1:51 pm

Back in June, I compiled a list of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NBA, a collection of names that seems somewhat comical just a couple months later. Since then, the league's second- and third-longest-tenured coaches (Doc Rivers and George Karl) have been replaced, as has No. 7 (Lionel Hollins).

The 2013 offseason involved a flurry of head coaching movement that ultimately saw nearly half of the league's teams make changes. 13 clubs will start the 2013/14 with a new head coach, and there's no guarantee that many of the other 17 are safe in the long-term either. Here's a breakdown of the current statuses of the NBA's 30 head coaches:

New hires:

  • Atlanta Hawks: Mike Budenholzer
  • Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens
  • Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd
  • Charlotte Bobcats: Steve Clifford
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Mike Brown
  • Denver Nuggets: Brian Shaw
  • Detroit Pistons: Maurice Cheeks
  • Los Angeles Clippers: Doc Rivers
  • Memphis Grizzlies: Dave Joerger
  • Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Drew
  • Philadelphia 76ers: Brett Brown
  • Phoenix Suns: Jeff Hornacek
  • Sacramento Kings: Michael Malone

Firmly entrenched:

  • Chicago Bulls: Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau and Bulls ownership haven't always seen eye to eye, but the two sides agreed to a lucrative four-year extension for the former Coach of the Year last fall, so Thibodeau should remain on Chicago's bench for the foreseeable future.
  • Dallas Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The Mavs inked Carlisle to a long-term extension last year that should keep him under contract through at least 2016.
  • Golden State Warriors: Mark Jackson. Earlier this offseason, the Warriors picked up Jackson's option for 2014/15, meaning he's locked up for two more seasons. Owner Joe Lacob has also said he envisions Jackson as the team's long-term coach.
  • Houston Rockets: Kevin McHale. With Dwight Howard having signed with the Rockets, McHale figures to play a key role in ensuring D12 excels in Houston. McHale still has two years remaining on his contract, and owner Leslie Alexander has said his head coach is "not going anywhere."
  • Indiana Pacers: Frank Vogel. Vogel's Pacers arguably overachieved in 2012/13, coming within a single win of the NBA Finals. Indiana locked its head coach up earlier this year to a deal that runs through 2014/15.
  • Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra's latest contract extension is set to expire after the 2013/14 season, but coming off two consecutive championships, the Heat's head coach will get a new deal if he wants one. Team president Pat Riley has said he expects Spoelstra to remain in Miami after Riley himself is gone.
  • New Orleans Pelicans: Monty Williams. Williams has only led New Orleans to a .409 winning percentage in his three seasons with the team, but it's unlikely he'll be on the hot seat anytime soon, after agreeing to an extension that keeps him under contract through 2016.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Scott Brooks. Despite the Thunder's disappointing finish in 2012/13, Brooks remains the team's long-term choice at head coach, having signed a four-year extension last summer.
  • San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich. The Spurs figure to keep Popovich around as long as he wants to stay, though perhaps that won't be a whole lot longer. The NBA's longest-tenured coach has indicated he may retire when Tim Duncan does.

Wait-and-see:

  • Los Angeles Lakers: Mike D'Antoni. The Lakers have repeatedly thrown their support behind D'Antoni, who will no longer have to worry about finding the best way to utilize Howard. With two more guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract, D'Antoni looks safe for now, but another rocky season in L.A. will have fans calling for a change.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: Rick Adelman. Adelman's future with the Timberwolves is only uncertain because it's not clear how much longer he wants to stay in Minnesota. His wife's health problems had Adelman reportedly considering resigning, and while the Wolves expect him back for 2013/14, it still hadn't been 100% confirmed as of earlier this month.
  • New York Knicks: Mike Woodson. Woodson doesn't start the season in any danger of losing his job, but '13/14 is the last guaranteed year on his contract, so an early exit from the playoffs next year could mean trouble for Woodson's long-term future in New York.
  • Orlando Magic: Jacque Vaughn. There are no indications at all that the Magic are unhappy with Vaughn, who was just hired last summer. However, after he led the team to an NBA-worst 20-62 mark in 2012/13, it's probably premature to assume the team is certain that he'll be the coach for the next five or 10 years.
  • Portland Trail Blazers: Terry Stotts. The blurb on Vaughn and the Magic can also be applied to Stotts, who was hired last summer as well. It's still too early to assume he's in any trouble or to assume he's the team's long-term answer.
  • Toronto Raptors: Dwane Casey. Entering the last year of his contract, Casey looks safe for now, but he was hired by the team's previous regime. Masai Ujiri and company could decide to bring in their own head coach a year from now.
  • Utah Jazz: Tyrone Corbin. Although Dennis Lindsey and the Jazz endorsed Corbin at the end of the season, he'll be entering the final year of his contract. The team stuck with Corbin after he had some issues with former Jazz players like Raja Bell and C.J. Miles, but it's not clear yet whether he's in the club's long-term plans.
  • Washington Wizards: Randy Wittman. Anything less than a postseason berth will likely be viewed as a disappointment for the Wizards in 2013/14. If Wittman can't get the team to the playoffs in the final year of his deal, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Washington explore other options next summer.
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Top Distributors Still On The Market

By | at August 7, 2013 4:57 pm

Over the last week, we've been focusing on free agents who specialize in a particular aspect of the game, whether that's scoring, rebounding, defense, or something else. Already, we've examined the top scorers, the top three-point shooters, and the top rebounders still available in free agency. Now, let's turn our attention to the top distributors on the market.

These guys aren't exactly Chris Paul, or even Mo Williams, who reached an agreement to sign with the Trail Blazers earlier today. But for a team looking for an inexpensive addition who can share the ball well, these guys are worth checking out.

Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by assist rate (a percentage of their team's baskets they assisted while on the floor). Their assist rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.

  1. Dominique Jones (36.2%)
  2. Jamaal Tinsley (34.1%)
  3. Beno Udrih (32.3%)
  4. Luke Walton (28.7%)
  5. A.J. Price (26.4%)
  6. Mike James (23.7%)
  7. Jeremy Pargo (23.0%)
  8. Chris Duhon (22.8%)
  9. Jannero Pargo (22.8%)
  10. Rodrigue Beaubois (22.6%)
  11. Richard Hamilton (19.9%)
  12. Terrence Williams (19.7%)
  13. Leandro Barbosa (19.0%)
  14. Darius Morris (16.8%)
  15. Daniel Gibson (13.4%)

Honorable mention:

  • Diante Garrett (31.3%) and Nolan Smith (19.9%) would have made the above list had they earned more playing time. Garrett only averaged 7.8 minutes per game in 19 contests, while Smith played 7.2 MPG for the season.
  • Damien Wilkins (12.9%) and James Johnson (10.2%) were among the players who missed the cut, while guys like Delonte West and Keyon Dooling have solid career assist rates, but weren't on NBA rosters for most of 2012/13.
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Top Rebounders Still On The Market

By | at August 7, 2013 10:18 am

With most of free agency's big names off the board, teams scouring the market now figure to focus on finding bargains or adding specialists. Not many of the players still available will be able to contribute a little bit of everything, but there are plenty that excel in one specific area, whether that area is three-point shooting, rebounding, defending, or something else.

In recent days, we've examined the top scorers and the top three-point shooters still available in free agency. Today, we'll turn our attention to the best free agent rebounders.

Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by rebound rate (a percentage of missed shots they rebounded). Their rebound rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.

  1. Hamed Haddadi (19.8%)
  2. Johan Petro (18.2%)
  3. Lamar Odom (17.7%)
  4. Nikola Pekovic (15.9%) (R)
  5. DeJuan Blair (15.6%)
  6. Ivan Johnson (14.7%)
  7. Kevin Jones (13.5%)
  8. Kurt Thomas (13.3%)
  9. DeSagana Diop (12.9%)
  10. Chris Wilcox (12.8%)
  11. Antawn Jamison (12.2%)
  12. Dominic McGuire (12.0%)
  13. Luke Babbitt (10.9%)
  14. Lance Thomas (10.6%)
  15. Hakim Warrick (10.4%)

Honorable mention:

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NBA Veterans Eligible For Contract Extensions

By | at August 6, 2013 1:24 pm

Last month, we listed the fourth-year players who are eligible for contract extensions of up to five years. The criteria for those players are fairly simple: If you're still playing on the rookie-scale deal you signed as a first-round draft pick and you're entering the final year of that contract, you're extension-eligible. John Wall became the first of those players to ink an extension with his current team last week, when he re-upped with the Wizards.

For veteran players, however, the criteria are a bit more convoluted. As Larry Coon explains in his invaluable CBA FAQ, veteran contracts of less than four years cannot be extended. However, longer deals can be extended in the following scenarios:

  • If a player is on a four-, five-, or six-year deal, it can be extended three years after it was signed.
  • If a player previously signed a contract extension, his deal can be extended again three years after the extension was signed.
  • If a player previously renegotiated his contract, his deal can be extended three years after the renegotiation was signed, if his salary was increased by more than 10%.

Given the specific circumstances required for a veteran contract extension, not a ton of players are eligible for them in any given year. Veteran extensions can also be for no more than four years, which includes the current season, meaning a player in the final year of his deal could only add three new seasons.

As such, top extension-eligible veterans such as LeBron James are far more likely to wait until free agency, where they can maximize their earnings. On the other hand, many other extension-eligible players like Charlie Villanueva, Richard Jefferson, and Andris Biedrins essentially have no chance of receiving new deals from their current teams, who are just waiting to clear those salaries.

Still, somewhere in the middle, there are a handful of players that we can reasonably expect to at least discuss the possibility of a contract extension with their respective teams at some point before next June. Here's the complete list, by my count, of veteran players currently eligible for extensions:

In addition to the players listed above, several players will become extension-eligible sometime before next June. Here's that list, along with the dates they become eligible to sign a new deal:

Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this list.

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Top Scorers Still On The Market

By | at August 6, 2013 10:14 am

Last week, I examined the top three-point shooters still available in free agency, for teams in need of perimeter scoring. Many of those players saw their strong three-point percentages propel them to solid scoring averages in 2012/13, but outside shooting isn't the only way of putting the ball in the net.

While many NBA teams are done with their free agent shopping, there are likely still a few clubs that wouldn't mind adding a scorer or two to supplement their benches. Taking a flier on a Summer League standout or an undrafted rookie could pay dividends, but there are plenty of veteran scorers still on the market as well.

Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by points per 36 minutes. Their PP36 rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.

  1. Nikola Pekovic (18.6) (restricted)
  2. Richard Hamilton (16.2)
  3. Ivan Johnson (15.7)
  4. Antawn Jamison (15.7)
  5. Leandro Barbosa (15.1)
  6. Mo Williams (15.0)
  7. Jannero Pargo (14.7)
  8. Jeremy Pargo (14.6)
  9. Hakim Warrick (14.3)
  10. Cartier Martin (14.0)
  11. DeJuan Blair (13.9)
  12. Beno Udrih (13.3)
  13. Damien Wilkins (12.8)
  14. Terrence Williams (12.5)
  15. A.J. Price (12.4)

Honorable mention:

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Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors

By | at August 6, 2013 8:51 am

As we've outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Hoops Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. If you don't want to follow all the site's updates, you can follow team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don't have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, you can also easily follow all our updates on your favorite player.

If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on LeBron James as he enters a potential contract year, you can visit this page. If you're interested in keeping tabs on contract extension talks between the Kings and DeMarcus Cousins, you can find Cousins' page right here.

Every player we've written about has his own rumors page. You can find your player of choice by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post where he's discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, LeBron's page is located at hoopsrumors.com/lebron-james.

In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags we use at the bottom of posts. Items related to the 2016 Olympics, for instance, can be found on this rumors page. If you want to follow early updates on the 2014 NBA draft, those are all available here.

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