Western Notes: Rockets, Kaman, Jazz, Goodwin
The Rockets head into the 2013/14 season considered one of the legit contenders to come out of the Western Conference, but according to GM Daryl Morey, the Houston roster is still a work in progress.
“We’re not all the way there, we’re not a finished team,” Morey told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “We’re going to be experimenting. We want to be a great team by mid-April.”
In his piece, Windhorst points to Omer Asik as the Rockets’ most significant trade chip, suggesting that it wouldn’t be surprising if the club worked out a deal involving the big center prior to the trade deadline. Here are a few more items from out of the Western Conference:
- Chris Kaman was the Lakers‘ “unheralded consolation prize” after they lost out on Dwight Howard in free agency. But Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains why the veteran center could play a crucial role in the team’s season.
- After his seeing his role and his production decline during the last several seasons in Golden State, Andris Biedrins says he’s happy to get a “fresh start” with the Jazz, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Jazz are one of eight NBA teams carrying the maximum 20 players, meaning they’ll need to make at least five cuts before the regular season begins. However, coach Tyrone Corbin says no roster moves are imminent at this point, according to Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
- Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic takes an extensive look at rookie guard Archie Goodwin, who the Suns hope will become a part of the team’s long-term core.
Traded 2014 First Round Picks To Watch
As we saw in 2011 when the draft pick acquired from the Clippers by the Cavaliers ended up landing first overall, trading unprotected first-round picks is a risky proposition for NBA teams. That would explain why, heading into the 2013/14 season, only three ’14 first-round picks have been traded without protection, all by veteran teams expected to have strong years.
The Knicks’ first-round pick will be sent to the Nuggets, as part of New York’s debt from the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster. However, if the Knicks’ pick is less favorable than Denver’s own pick, the Nuggets will pass it along to Orlando, as part of last summer’s four-team Dwight Howard trade. Otherwise, the Magic will receive Denver’s pick.
The Warriors’ first-round pick will head to Utah, one of several picks Golden State sent to the Jazz in the cap-clearing summer deal that saw Andre Iguodala land with the Warriors.
The other unprotected first-rounder will come from the Nets, who agreed to send their pick to Boston in this offseason’s acquisition of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. As part of 2012’s Joe Johnson swap though, the Hawks have the opportunity to swap their own first-round pick with the Nets’ pick, leaving the Celtics with the lesser pick of the two. So if the Nets disappoint this season, it will be the Hawks, rather than the C’s, who benefit most.
Nine other teams have agreed to give up their respective 2014 first-round picks in certain scenarios, but given the protection on these picks, only a handful will actually change hands next summer. We’ll be keeping an eye on the standings all season to monitor whether or not these traded picks will fall under protection, but here’s an early look at the situations to watch this season:
Team: Charlotte Bobcats
Will be sent to: Chicago Bulls
Protection: 1-10
Forecast: Despite the addition of Al Jefferson, the Bobcats still likely project as a lottery team, meaning this pick has a good chance to stay put. That could be good news for the Bulls, since we continue to inch closer to 2016, when this pick will become unprotected.
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Will be sent to: Oklahoma City Thunder
Protection: 1-20
Forecast: Mark Cuban and the Mavs are optimistic about the new-look roster, but I’m skeptical that Dallas is a top-ten team. This pick will probably stay with Dallas.
Team: Detroit Pistons
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-8
Forecast: If the Pistons were to finish as a bottom-eight team, I expect there’d be some jobs opening up in Detroit in 2014, given the expectations for the club. I have the Pistons penciled in as a low playoff seed in the East, so this pick should be ticketed for Charlotte.
Team: Indiana Pacers
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: While the Heat may be the No. 1 seed in the East again, the Pacers shouldn’t be too far behind them. As such, this pick will likely land in the mid-20s and be shipped to Phoenix.
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-13
Forecast: If the T-Wolves can avoid the injury problems that plagued them last season, they should be a playoff contender. The West will be competitive though, so there are no guarantees either way on this one.
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Will be sent to: Philadelphia 76ers
Protection: 1-5
Forecast: I’m not bullish on the Pelicans’ postseason chances for 2013/14, but the offseason upgrades, along with continued development from Anthony Davis, should ensure that New Orleans isn’t a bottom-five team. The result could be a pair of lottery picks for the Sixers.
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Will be sent to: Miami Heat
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: Speaking of those Sixers, it would be truly be a shocker if their own first-rounder changed hands next summer. Many pundits don’t expect the Sixers to win 20 games, let alone earn a playoff spot.
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: Like the Wolves, the Blazers expect to be in contention for the postseason, but again, it won’t be easy in the West. This is another pick I could see going either way.
Team: Sacramento Kings
Will be sent to: Cleveland Cavaliers
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: The Kings are entering the season with playoff aspirations as well, but their odds are significantly lower, in my view, than the Wolves’ or Blazers’. I expect we’ll see Sacramento keep this pick.
RealGM.com was used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Burke, Clippers, Blazers
A few notes from around the Western Conference.
- Jazz rookie point guard Trey Burke will get the start in his first preseason game, and his coaches want him to put his struggles behind him. Burke’s starting his professional career in shooting slump that Utah can’t afford to see carry over into the regular season, writes the Salt Lake Tribune’s Aaron Falk.
- Clippers head coach Doc Rivers believes his team can be as good as any he’s ever coached, and that the group is already understanding the principles of his defensive system, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Broderick Turner.
- Now that rookie guard C.J. McCollum will be sidelined with a broken foot, it’ll be interesting to see who gets his playing time: Will Barton or Allen Crabbe, writes OregonLive.com’s Joe Freeman.
Northwest Notes: Gobert, Jazz, Blazers, Lopez
Lester Hudson was the last man to enter Jazz training camp, but it sounds like he’s got a pretty solid chance of sticking with the team. Utah would like a third point guard to help shore up their depth chart and right now it appears to be a two-horse race between Hudson and fellow one-guard Scott Machado. Here’s more out of the Northwest Division..
- Rookie Rudy Gobert is impressing coaches in practice and he could be a contributor for them sooner rather than later, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. “It depends on where his development is,” coach Tyrone Corbin said. “If he can help us in games, we’ll have him in games.”If he continues to grow like he has this first week, man, he’s been pretty good. Now we’ve got to get him against other competition — in game situations — and see how it transfers.” When Utah tabbed Gobert with the 27th pick, they viewed him as a long-term project, but he could be ready to make a difference this season.
- If the Blazers can get some tough play out of offseason acquisition Robin Lopez and others, they’ll have a chance at making the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, writes Sam Amico of FOXSports.com. Earlier today, Amico reported that Portland will consider Daniel Gibson after losing C.J. McCollum to injury.
- Jazz rookie Trey Burke is looking to be a vocal leader for the team this year, writes Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Western Notes: Henry, Wolves, Jazz, Melo
We’ve heard players like Omer Asik and Marcin Gortat mentioned repeatedly as possible trade candidates for the coming season, and both players earn a spot on Sam Smith‘s list of 10 players most likely to be traded at Bulls.com. Smith also includes a few surprises among his 10 names though, including a pair of power forwards on Western Conference playoff teams: Zach Randolph and David Lee. I’d be surprised to see either player go anywhere, but as we saw a year ago with James Harden and the Thunder, contending teams aren’t always averse to moving key players.
Here are a few more Monday items out of the West:
- Asked if Xavier Henry‘s play this fall is solidifying his spot on the regular season roster, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters, including John Ireland and Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), “I would think so.”
- With CSKA Moscow set to play an exhibition game against the Timberwolves tonight, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes that a couple players on the Russian squad – Milos Teodosic and Sonny Weems – could interest the T-Wolves, or have been pursued by the team in the past (Twitter links).
- Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are both eligible for contract extensions this month, but the Jazz don’t necessarily have to treat them equally, writes Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune. In Kragthorpe’s opinion, Utah should extend Hayward now and wait on Favors.
- It’s not clear if Fab Melo will earn a roster spot with the Mavericks, but the young center doesn’t sound unhappy to be out of Boston. Melo tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Celtics “didn’t give [him] a chance” last season, “even in practice” (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Jazz, Draft, Karl, Ledo, Weems
If the Jazz are going to roll with a third point guard this season, it’ll be either Scott Machado or Lester Hudson, writes Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks could conceivably bring the ball up the floor, but it sounds like Utah would prefer to have another cushion at the one-guard position. “It’s always better to have a third point guard,” coach Tyrone Corbin said. “A guy gets hurt, a guy gets sick … If it’s for an extended period of time, having that third point guard gives you a luxury.” Here’s more from around the Association..
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv spoke with an NBA GM about the 2014 Draft. The GM feels that even though it’ll be a two-player race between Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle, no one will have the fortitude to pick Randle over Wiggins, even if he outperforms him.
- George Karl says the 2012/13 was the most fun he’s ever had in coaching, so he’d like to return to the bench, even though the former Nuggets boss acknowledges to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he may not get another chance. “If that doesn’t happen, I think I can be OK with it,” Karl said. “I’ve had a great career and I think I’m healthy enough and energized enough to go another four or five years, and hopefully someone else out there will think the same thing.”
- Rick Carlisle is high on second-round pick Ricky Ledo, but the Mavs coach hinted that Ledo will probably spend time on assignment to the D-League this year, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passes along.
- Sonny Weems, who will play in Russia this season, still has his eye on an NBA deal, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Western Rumors: Evans, Jazz, Nuggets
New Pelicans wing Tyreke Evans landed hard on his left ankle tonight during their preseason game against the Rockets. John Reid of Times-Picayune reports that he was helped off the court.
Fellow Times-Picayune beat reporter Jimmy Smith tweets that X-Rays were negative on Evans' left ankle. But the team will do an MRI later tonight to be sure there's no structural damage. Evans signed with the Pelicans after a three-team trade involving the Blazers and Kings in July.
Here's more from around the West as preseason games started today…
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that Jazz guard Ian Clark has been underwhelming in training camp. The undrafted rookie performed spectacularly for the Heat and Warriors in summer league, winning the summer league championship MVP in Vegas.
- The Jazz signed Clark to a partially guaranteed two-year minimum deal with the Jazz. Still, he's been pressing, Oram adds in a tweet. Though the Salt Lake Tribune scribe doesn't believe he'll be waived (Twitter).
- Oram continued to update on the Jazz training camp roster tonight, tweeting that with Marvin Williams and Brandon Rush hurt, many believe the Jazz will keep 15 on their roster with Scott Machado or Lester Hudson likely to claim one of the remaining spots for opening night.
- JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried must improve their one-on-one defense as stressed by new Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, writes Benjamin Hochman in his mailbag column for the Denver Post.
Lester Hudson Joins Jazz For Camp
The Jazz have finalized their roster for camp by adding a 20th player, the maximum allowed before the regular season gets underway. The 20th man on the preseason roster is free agent guard Lester Hudson, according to the team (via Twitter).
Hudson, 29, has played parts of three NBA seasons with the Celtics, Wizards, Cavs, and Grizzlies (twice). The 6'3" guard didn't play in an NBA regular season game last season, but had a successful stint with the Dongguan Leopards in China, for whom he averaged 27.5 PPG in 15 contests. Hudson worked out for the Knicks earlier this summer, and reportedly looked very impressive at a May D-League camp in Chicago.
Despite having 20 players on the training camp roster, the Jazz are only carrying 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts. Ian Clark, who has a $200K guarantee, looks like a decent bet to make the team as well. If he does, that would leave two potential openings for the likes of Hudson, Brian Cook, Mike Harris, Justin Holiday, Dwayne Jones, Scott Machado, and Dominic McGuire.
It had been reported that Weber State product Nick Covington would also be in camp with the Jazz, but with 20 players on board, it doesn't appear there's any room for him in Utah at the moment. It's not clear whether the Jazz opted not to sign Covington or whether he's still in their plans in some form, but for now, the club will move forward without him on the roster.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Martin, Aldridge, Corbin
Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders consulted coach Rick Adelman this summer as the team was debating the merits of signing J.J. Redick, O.J. Mayo and Kevin Martin. It was Martin, Adelman's former player on the Rockets and the only one of the trio who signed with Minnesota, who stood out to the longtime coach.
"All of them could help us," Adelman said, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes. "Anybody who could make a shot was going to help us. But Kevin I knew so well and I knew he’s going to get you 20 points every time he steps on the floor."
Zgoda passes along more from Adelman on his decision to return to the bench this season and his working relationship with Saunders, and we have more on Minnesota's rivals in the Northwest:
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey was testy with reporters when asked about LaMarcus Aldridge trade rumors at media day today, as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge notes. For his part, Aldridge reiterated that he's not angling to get out of Portland. Golliver has a complete transcript of Olshey's media day comments here.
- Olshey and Blazers coach Terry Stotts both expect the team to make the playoffs this season, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian observes.
- Tyrone Corbin, entering the final season of his contract with the Jazz, will be judged on how well the team's players develop this season rather than wins and losses, opines Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- We rounded up the latest from the Nuggets earlier this evening, including the team's addition of Kyle Fogg to its training camp roster.
Jazz Announce Three Camp Signings
The Jazz have officially announced the signings of Brian Cook, Justin Holiday and Dwayne Jones. Agreements involving all three had been reported this month. The team has 19 players under contract, though that doesn't include Nick Covington's deal, which we heard about this weekend.
Cook, Holiday and Jones all have NBA experience, though Cook has by far the most among the three, and he ranks in the top 10 among all of this year's NBA camp invitees in games played. Holiday is the only one of the trio to have appeared in a game last season, as he saw action in nine contests for the Sixers, alongside younger brother Jrue Holiday.
The Jazz have only 12 fully guaranteed contracts and Ian Clark's partially guaranteed deal, but with a full contingent of players for camp, none of the players on non-guaranteed deals seem like safe bets for the opening-night roster.