Southeast Notes: Jefferson, Andersen, Nelson
Al Jefferson calls his decision to sign with the Bobcats a “no-brainer,” but he also tells HoopsWorld’s Bill Ingram that he thinks the Jazz will benefit from letting go of him and Hawks signee Paul Millsap.
“Most definitely, I think Derrick Favors and Enes (Kanter) are going to be big time big men in this league,” Jefferson said. “I kind of had a feeling that it really just wouldn’t make any sense basketball wise to sign back me or Paul Millsap back when you have them two young guys coming up. It was still tough to leave them. I felt like they were my little brothers, but it’s part of the business and it was the best decision for everybody.”
Jefferson had long been a fan of Kemba Walker, and says to Ingram that the former Connecticut guard was one of the Bobcats who recruited him to Charlotte. The ‘Cats are off to a 9-11 start, better than in years past, but they’re only in fourth place in the Southeast, the most competitive division in the Eastern Conference. Here’s more from those teams:
- Chris Andersen is 35, but he tells Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick that he intends to play another three or four years (Twitter link). The Heat reserve thinks the two-year drug suspension that kept him away from the nightly NBA grind kept his body relatively spry.
- Trade candidate Jameer Nelson has been frustrated with playing off the ball as the Magic try rookie Victor Oladipo at point guard, but he insists that he remains no less dedicated to the only NBA team he’s ever played for, observes John Denton of Magic.com.
- The Dwight Howard trade gave Magic cornerstones Arron Afflalo, Nikola Vucevic and Maurice Harkless chances to play the sort of key roles they most likely wouldn’t have been in with their old teams, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel examines.
Northwest Rumors: Aldridge, Lillard, Hayward
LaMarcus Aldridge spoke to Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio this week about the trade rumors that surrounded him this summer, chalking it up to passing frustration, as Ben Golliver of Blazer’s Edge notes in his transcript of the most notable passages.
“It was just me being overly emotional at the time,” Aldridge said. “Nobody wants to lose. I’m in my prime right now. At the time, I was a little emotional about not winning or what not. After I had time to talk to (Blazers GM) Neil (Olshey) and the team, I knew they were going to make some moves, bring some guys in.”
Aldridge is eligible to sign an extension, and when Rome asked whether he’d sign one, Aldridge said he’ll deal with the matter in the offseason. His decision will be a key story next summer, and as we await that, there’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Damian Lillard, the Blazers‘ other linchpin, doesn’t seem at all reticent about his willingness to commit to the team long-term, judging by his comments to Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. “I love it here,” Lillard said. “Hopefully this is where I’ll always be. I’m not saying that just to be politically correct. I really hope so. My family likes it here. Hopefully it will be a career-long thing for me.”
- Gordon Hayward discusses this year’s steep increase in his on-court responsibilities with USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt. Hayward professes his love for the team and calls himself a “Jazz guy” in response to a question about his upcoming restricted free agency.
- Brian Shaw had been passed over multiple times for head coaching jobs, but before landing his Denver gig this summer he was confident he’d wind up with the Nuggets, Nets or Clippers, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Hayward, Sanders
With league action on the court beginning for the evening, some action around the league occurring off the court.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com doesn’t think the Bulls will apply for the Disabled Player Exception worth 50% of Derrick Rose‘s salary. With the Bulls already in luxury tax territory, adding a player under this exception would still cost Chicago double what they pay that player and no available player is worth that money to the Bulls.
- With the departure of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap this past offseason, the Jazz have turned to Gordon Hayward as their “go-to-guy”. The Jazz use Hayward 25% of the time he is on the court and have increased his playing time by 10.5 MPG more this season than his career average of 26.4 MPG. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today discusses whether this increase in playing time could hurt the Jazz since they were unable to reach a contract extension before this season allowing Hayward to become a restricted free agent next season.
- Following a breakout season last year, Larry Sanders earned himself a contract extension with the Bucks this offseason. Wondering if that contract extension will pay off, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times asked (via Twitter) an NBA exec the trade value of Sanders, who has only played three games this season due to thumb surgery. Combining the surgery with his new contract, the exec speculates few, if any, teams would want him at the moment.
Western Links: Trail Blazers, Bogut, Mavericks
Beckley Mason of the New York Times examines the chemistry and cohesiveness that have galvanized the Trail Blazers this season, prompting LaMarcus Aldridge to call this the ‘happiest time in his career’: “Guys are playing so (unselfishly) — our team chemistry is unreal right now…Coach Stotts gives us the freedom to play loose and make plays, and guys aren’t abusing it.”
Veteran point guard Earl Watson also weighed in: “Everyone accepts their role, and the roles were never defined. It’s the truth of our team, the DNA of our team. The way we fit together, it’s like the perfect storm, so to speak.”
Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Sean Meagher of OregonLive.com provides a roundup of the latest links coming out of Portland (including Mason’s piece).
- Andrew Bogut is well past the the talk of the Warriors’ efforts to acquire Dwight Howard this past offseason and doesn’t think it’s worth discussing anymore since he’s shown team brass the type of production that he’s capable of, says Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News.
- The 7th or 8th seed should remain a goal for the Mavericks, writes Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW, who adds that tanking wouldn’t really guarantee anything for them.
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via Twitter) reports that the Thunder have named Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson as their NBPA team player representative and alternative player rep, respectively.
- Matthew Coles of the Associated Press discusses the notable difference that Trey Burke has brought to the table for the Jazz from a point guard standpoint (hat tip to The Detroit News).
- Paul Coro of AZcentral.com talks about the competitive Western Conference playoff chase that lies ahead as it pertains to the Suns.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Aldridge, Rush
Three Northwest teams will host games tonight, including the Thunder welcoming the Warriors to Oklahoma City for a rematch of perhaps the best game of the season’s first month. As we look forward to the evening’s schedule, let’s check in on a few items out of the Northwest….
- The Knicks are in Denver tonight, which will result in the inevitable look back on the 2011 trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. As Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post writes, that deal should continue paying dividends for the Nuggets this season, since Denver could end up with both a playoff berth and a lottery pick, thanks to the Knicks.
- Wilson Chandler, one of the players acquired by the Nuggets in that Carmelo blockbuster, has long since moved on, as he indicates to Dempsey. “It’s just another game,” said Chandler of the Knicks’ visit. “It’s been a long time since that trade.”
- After the Trail Blazers bolstered their roster over the summer, LaMarcus Aldridge decided it was time for him to step up and take a larger leadership role with the club, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Brandon Rush, who was acquired from the Warriors by the Jazz in July, appears ready to return to action, as Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune observes. Making $4MM in the final year of his contract, Rush could turn into an intriguing deadline trade chip if he stays healthy and plays well for Utah over the next couple months.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Nowitzki, HGH, Biedrins
The Heat‘s visit to Cleveland tonight brought the specter of LeBron James hitting the free agent market next summer to the forefront, but Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com argues that the four-time MVP should stay in Miami if he wants to continue winning championships. The Heat are a strong draw for other free agents, too, and it’s no surprise that players take discounts to come to Miami, which offers an up-tempo system, the chance to play with LeBron, and title contention, Tjarks writes. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is confident Dirk Nowitzki won’t seek too much money from the team in contract negotiations this summer, and says the Mavs are “going to do all we can to keep him forever,” notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Cuban also told reporters that the NBA is open-minded about studies on the use of human growth hormone for helping athletes recover from injury. Cuban intends to fund the research, but that sort of HGH use in the NBA would first require U.S. government approval. Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com has the details.
- Andris Biedrins admits impending free agency is on his mind, and the Jazz center hinted at retirement, saying in part that, “I know this is my last year,” as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune passes along. Of course, Biedrins could be referring to the last year of his contract, rather than his career.
- Gerald Green has fit in surprisingly well in Phoenix, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, who sees potential for him to be a long-term piece for the Suns.
- Kim English has signed to play in France with Chorale Roanne, the team announced (translation via Sportando). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported the deal for the Leon Rose client and former Pistons guard.
- Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld doesn’t expect the Heat‘s Big Three to hit the open market next summer, but offers up a list of plenty of other potential free agents for teams to consider in 2014.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
T-Wolves Close To Trading Derrick Williams?
Derrick Williams‘ stint with the Timberwolves may be nearing its end, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (Twitter links). The buzz is that a Williams trade is close, according to Wolfson, who lists the Jazz, Kings, Knicks, and Nets as possible suitors for the forward.
We typically don’t see many in-season swaps made before offseason signees become trade-eligible on December 15th, but that doesn’t mean teams can’t strike deals before then. Still, it’s not clear whether Minnesota is on the verge of finalizing a trade involving Williams, or whether the team is simply progressing to more advanced talks with potential trade partners.
A report earlier this month suggested that the Wolves had made both Williams and Alexey Shved available. Team president Flip Saunders denied that report, but Williams hasn’t been an ideal fit in Minnesota, and has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors and speculation. ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reported a week ago that the Kings had “a lot of interest” in the former second overall pick.
The Wolves picked up Williams’ 2014/15 option prior to opening night, so any team acquiring him would be on the hook for the rest of this year’s $5.02MM salary, along with next year’s $6.33MM.
Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- John Lucas III: Two years, $3.2MM. Signed via cap space. Second year is non-guaranteed.
- Jamaal Tinsley: One year, $1.4MM. Signed via cap space. Non-guaranteed. Was subsequently waived.
- Ian Clark: Two years, $1.31MM. Signed via cap space. First year is partially guaranteed for $200K. Second year is non-guaranteed.
- Mike Harris: One year, $916K. Signed via cap space. Non-guaranteed.
Extensions
Trades
- Acquired the No. 9 pick in 2013 from the Timberwolves in exchange for the No. 14 pick in 2013 and the No. 21 pick in 2013.
- Acquired the No. 27 pick in 2013 from the Nuggets in exchange for the No. 46 pick in 2013 and cash.
- Acquired the No. 47 pick in 2013 from the Hawks in exchange for the Nets’ 2015 second-round pick.
- Acquired Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush, a 2014 first-round pick, a 2017 first-round pick, a 2016 second-round pick, a 2017 second-round pick, and cash from the Warriors, as well as a 2018 second-round pick from the Nuggets, in exchange for Randy Foye (signed-and-traded to Nuggets) and Kevin Murphy (to Warriors).
Draft Picks
- Trey Burke (Round 1, 9th overall). Signed via rookie exception.
- Rudy Gobert (Round 1, 27th overall). Signed via rookie exception.
- Raul Neto (Round 2, 47th overall). Playing overseas.
Camp Invitees
Departing Players
- DeMarre Carroll
- Randy Foye
- Al Jefferson
- Jerel McNeal
- Paul Millsap
- Kevin Murphy
- Earl Watson
- Mo Williams
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Alec Burks (4th year, $3.03MM): Exercised
- Enes Kanter (4th year, $5.69MM): Exercised
Sometimes, you gotta take a step back to move forward. At least, the Jazz hope that’s true. After finishing with a .500 record last season, the Jazz realized that they were in the NBA’s dreaded middle ground. They had enough talent to be in the mix for one of the final playoff spots in the West but their upside was somewhat limited. This summer, the Jazz decided to build around their youth and position themselves for the future. It’s a plan that we could praise in next year’s Offseason In Review, but it’s not going to be pretty in the interim.
All season long, fans wondered which big man the Jazz would re-sign: Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap. The correct answer: neither. Utah allowed Jefferson to sign a hefty three-year, $40.5MM deal with the Bobcats while watching Millsap sign a two-year, $19MM pact with the Hawks. Re-signing one (or both) players would have put Utah in the pre-season Mavericks/Pelicans/Blazers/Lakers group of teams fighting for one of the final seeds. Instead, the Jazz decided to let both walk and give those minutes to Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter in order to help them develop.
The Jazz made their intentions for the 2013/14 season perfectly clear in July when they agreed to take on Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, and Brandon Rush from the Warriors for a boatload of draft picks. That haul of two first-round picks (2014 and 2017 from Warriors), three second-round picks (2016 and 2017 from Warriors, 2018 from Nuggets) makes the $24MM in additional salary worthwhile for the rebuilding Jazz. The key, of course, is that all three deals have just one year remaining. Utah will go into the free agent frenzy of 2014 with just ~$27MM in commitments, a number that should give them more breathing room than just about anyone.
In the meantime, the Jazz are left with floor plans on a four-story mansion hanging in the living room of their small one-bedroom apartment. Jefferson, once a key cog on the Nets’ back-to-back Finals teams, is a shell of his former self and hasn’t averaged double digit points since the 2010/11 season he spent with San Antonio. Biedrins has regressed even further with averages of 2.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG across the last four (injury riddled) seasons. Rush should prove to be an improvement at the starting small forward position over Marvin Williams, but he’ll have to get back on the court first. Since playing ten minutes against the Nets on November 5th, Rush has yet to appear in another game. He says that he has more-or-less recovered from his torn ACL, but at this stage, he has a mental block that is keeping him from playing with comfort and confidence.
But enough about this tiny one bedroom with those horrible, noisy neighbors upstairs. Let’s talk mansion. The Jazz used their No. 14 and No. 21 picks in the June draft to trade up and grab Michigan guard Trey Burke. In a draft that could prove to be chock full of duds (just ask Cavs fans how they feel about top pick Anthony Bennett right now), Burke looks like he could be a rather solid point guard. The 20-year-old boasts tremendous passing ability and has a knack for finding the open man in traffic. He also knows how to keep command of the basketball with his high-level ball handling and he vaulted up the draft board in part because he was able to cut down on turnovers from his freshman to sophomore year. Burke completes the triple threat profile with his shooting ability and has solid range from outside. Even though eight players were taken ahead of him in the 2013 draft, it wouldn’t be surprise at all for him to stand as one of the three best talents in the class five years from now. In addition to Burke, the Jazz also picked up French center Rudy Gobert towards the end of the first round. Gobert is raw, but he has the size and defensive aptitude to develop into a solid rotation piece.
After moving on from Millsap/Jefferson, the Jazz locked up Derrick Favors, whom they hope will be a key part of their future. Utah’s four-year, $49MM deal may seem like a lot on the surface, but at the time of the signing, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports spoke with league execs who said that they would be willing to give him something in the range of $13MM per season. Frankly, the deal could turn out to be quite a bargain if Favors progresses as they hope he will. The Jazz were also hoping to hammer something out with Gordon Hayward before the Halloween deadline but it wasn’t meant to be. Hayward is now set to hit restricted free agency in the summer, but the Jazz might also be open to moving him before the All-Star break.
In the Riggin’ For Wiggins chase, the Jazz might have a leg up on everyone. It might not be easy to watch, but Utah has decided to have something of a growing pain year to see what they have in Burke, Hayward, Favors, Kanter, and Alec Burks. This time next year, the Jazz could look like the smartest team in the league. For now, they’ll have to make do in their cramped bachelor pad.
Coach/GM Rumors: Jazz, Wizards, Raps, Cavs
It may seem a little early in the season for any NBA teams to make a coaching change, but it’s worth noting that each of the league’s 30 coaches have already survived twice as long this year as Mike Brown did with the Lakers a year ago. While there may not be any coaching or front office shake-ups right around the corner, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com examines situations of potential unrest around the league, offering up a few tidbits along the way. Let’s round them up….
- Despite leading the Jazz to a 1-12 start, coach Tyrone Corbin doesn’t appear to be in any danger, since the focus in Utah is on player development rather than wins and losses. Berger adds that there’s also no logical in-house candidate to serve as an interim coach now that former assistant Jeff Hornacek is in Phoenix.
- League sources question how much longer Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld “can remain in self-preservation mode,” says Berger.
- If the Wizards and Raptors continue losing, Randy Wittman and Dwane Casey could be in a dead heat for the first coach to be replaced. According to Berger, the feeling around the league is that new Toronto president Masai Ujiri would be quick to make a change and start putting his own stamp on the franchise if things go south for Casey and the Raptors.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is on “shaky ground,” sources tell Berger. While coach Mike Brown may have pushed for the drafting of Anthony Bennett, Brown just signed a four-year contract with the team, so Grant’s seat is much hotter than his coach’s.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps and Pistons GM Joe Dumars are among the other executives who could be in danger of losing their jobs if their respective teams aren’t in the playoff hunt, writes Berger.
Odds & Ends: New York, Hayward, Ellis, Adrien
It’s been a busy day for New York basketball. Fans of both the Nets and Knicks are concerned about the slow starts of their favorite squads, but despite the rumors, we’ve heard that neither Jason Kidd nor Mike Woodson is in danger of getting fired. Justin Terranova of the New York Post sat down with NBA TV’s Greg Anthony and discussed the state of both teams, and while Anthony believes the Nets are in bigger trouble than the Knicks, there’s still plenty of time for both teams to turn their season around.
Here are some miscellaneous notes from Thursday night:
- An unnamed GM suspects the Suns will do everything in their power to pry Gordon Hayward away from the Jazz this offseason, tweets NBA TV’s Peter Vecsey. Hayward and the Jazz failed to reach a rookie contract extension before the deadline. The fourth year forward currently earns $3.5MM but should see a big pay raise once he hits restricted free agency this summer.
- Dwain Price of the Star Telegram details how the Mavericks’ offseason signing of Monta Ellis has been a critical part of the team’s early season success. Through 12 games, Ellis has been an excellent fit in Dallas’ system, posting a career high 19.5 PER. Coach Rick Carlisle spoke on how impressed he was with the veteran guard: “I thought he was going to be a hard worker and I thought that he was going to be a very talented guy, and he’s been all those things. The thing I really love is how well he continues to adapt to our system and our personnel.“
- Jeff Adrien‘s contract is non-guaranteed, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer details how the undersized post player is proving in Al Jefferson‘s absence that he might be worthy of a spot on the Bobcats roster.
- In a league where sharpshooting big men are becoming increasingly valuable, Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com discusses why Spencer Hawes‘ impressive skill set fits the 76ers uptempo offense perfectly. Tom Moore of the Burlington County Times reveals how much Brett Brown values Hawes. The seventh-year center’s contract expires at the end of the season.
- In his nightly roundup of the NBA, Yannis Koutroupis of HOOPSWORLD examines how Terrence Jones‘ experience in the D-League helped the stretch four develop into a Rockets starter this year. Jones is playing 21 MPG and shooting an impressive 53% on 64 attempts this year.