Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday
Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up:
- Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
- Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
- Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
- Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
- The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
- A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
- Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.
Odds & Ends: Millsap, Martin, Mejri, Blazers
The Bulls might not have Derrick Rose, but they proved again Thursday that they can beat anybody, giving the Knicks their first loss after 13 wins in a row. This comes just a few weeks after Chicago stopped the Heat's epic 27-game streak, and it seems like the Bulls will be a tough out no matter who they draw in the playoffs. There's plenty of intrigue involving off-court matters as well, and here's the latest:
- Friday's matchup with the Timberwolves could be Paul Millsap's last home game as a member of the Jazz, and the soon-t0-be free agent reflected on his time in Utah, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News details. "I owe a lot to this community," Millsap said. "I owe a lot to this organization."
- Cartier Martin probably won't have much leverage when it comes to choosing a team as a free agent this summer, but he expressed a desire to re-sign with the Wizards, notes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
- HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra looks at Tunisian center Salah Mejri, who continues to draw interest from NBA teams after coming close to signing last year. Still, agent Bouna Ndiaye tells Sierra that he and Mejri will look to European clubs first before considering the NBA.
- The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reviews the first year of the Trail Blazers' exclusive partnership with the D-League's Idaho Stampede. Portland made a half-dozen assignments with four different players, and planned to make even more use of their affiliate.
- Greg Esposito of Suns.com chronicles the many travels of Suns point guard Diante Garrett, who spent Thursday night on his latest trip to the D-League, putting up a team-high 23 points for the Bakersfield Jam in a playoff loss to the Austin Toros.
- Cavs power forward Kevin Jones is no stranger to the D-League either, having been assigned to the Canton Charge six times this season, but he's begun to see consistent time for the big club, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal points out.
Odds & Ends: Mack, Suns, Favors, Smith, Dirk
While there are no games on the NBA docket tonight, there are still plenty of news items to pass along. Here are some odds and ends from around the league:
- Shelvin Mack has finally found a home in Atlanta, writes NBA.com's Jon Cooper. Mack, who re-signed with the Hawks after the expiration of his second 10-day contract on March 26, has received a bump in minutes of late and has responded with a handful of solid performances.
- Along with their own first round pick, which figures to be high, the Suns will also have another selection in round one – either the Lakers pick if they miss the playoffs or the Heat's pick if L.A. sneaks in. Jay Dieffenbach of AzCentral takes a look at the top, middle and back of the past four NBA draft's to give Suns fans an idea of what they should expect.
- Jazz big man Derrick Favors has made the most of the increased playing time that has resulted from Enes Kanter's season-ending injury, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Luhm, Favors is also completely settled in as a member of the Jazz after being dealt to Utah two years ago as a teenager.
- Here is a transcript of a J.R. Smith interview on ESPN Radio New York, courtesy of SportsRadioInterviews.com, within which Smith details the keys to his breakout season with the Knicks. Smith is the owner of a $2.93MM player option this offseason. If declined, he will become a free agent coming off a career year.
- In HoopsWorld's NBA PM column, Bill Ingram writes that it won't be a surprise if Dirk Nowitzki's patience runs out should the Mavericks strike out once again this offseason. Nowitzki has repeatedly professed his loyalty to the Dallas organization, despite the dismantling of the 2010-11 title team and the disappointment of what was supposed to be a huge summer in 2012. The Mavs are again ideally positioned to make an impact this summer, but it remains to be seen what players make it to free agency.
Jazz Sign Jerel McNeal For Season
SATURDAY, 1:10pm: The Jazz announced a contract with McNeal for the rest of the season, via press release on the team's website.
FRIDAY, 11:25pm: Jerel McNeal's 10-day contract with the Jazz expires tonight, and while McNeal hasn't received word on whether he'll get another deal, the team has told him to report to practice Saturday morning, tweets Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. That seems as much of any indication as any that the 6'3" shooting guard will continue his stint with Utah, whether it's for another 10 days or the rest of the season.
McNeal has yet to log any playing time with the Jazz. Unlike many teams who use 10-day deals as an opportunity to try out talent for the future, Utah is fighting for a playoff spot, and may simply want McNeal around to provide depth if an injury to someone else should occur. The team may also want to get a look at him over the summer, in which case the Jazz may do a rest-of-the-season deal with an option or a non-guaranteed season tagged on for 2013/14.
The 25-year-old McNeal made the D-League All-Star Game this winter for the second time in three years, and put up 18.1 points and 5.5 assists per game in 44 D-League regular season contests for the Bakersfield Jam. McNeal has also played professionally in Italy after going undrafted out of Marquette in 2009.
Jazz Sign Jerel McNeal To 10-Day Contract
The Jazz have signed Jerel McNeal to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Because Utah released Raja Bell earlier this month to sign Travis Leslie, then didn't renew Leslie's first 10-day deal, the club had an open roster spot, so a corresponding move isn't necessary.
McNeal, 25, had been playing for the Bakersfield Jam, the D-League affiliate of the Hawks, Raptors, Clippers, and Suns. The former Marquette standout was named a D-League All-Star this season for the second time. He has averaged 18.1 PPG and 5.5 APG in 44 games while helping lead the Jam to a D-League-best 32-13 record.
The Raptors brought McNeal to camp this past fall, but didn't include him on their regular-season roster, cutting him about a week before the season got underway. As our 10-day contract tracker shows, this isn't the first time McNeal has been signed to a 10-day deal, though he has yet to appear in an NBA regular-season contest.
Odds & Ends: Jazz, Hoiberg, Raptors, Gay
Earlier today, the Mavericks made their signing of Justin Dentmon official after letting Chris Wright's 10-day contract expire. The Mavs can give Dentmon a new deal in a week-and-a-half, but odds are that they'll let him walk as well. Dallas is reportedly looking to audition three different point guards and they'll likely go back to the D-League well to find their next pickup. Here's more from around the Association..
- Tyrone Corbin reiterated his comments from earlier this week about his team's free agents, saying that it "might" have impacted the squad while crediting them for blocking out distractions, tweets Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune. Both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will hit the open market this summer and all signs point to Utah keeping one or the other, not both.
- Fred Hoiberg has the tools to be a successful coach in the NBA, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com. Last night we learned that the Iowa State coach is being targeted by multiple teams as a head coaching candidate this summer.
- While Raptors head coach Dwane Casey thinks that the club may shut Rudy Gay down for the season, the forward doesn't think that his year is over, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
Odds & Ends: Ayon, Brooks, Mavericks
Bucks center Gustavo Ayon expressed some frustration about not being able to find court time in Milwaukee, and told reporters that he could return to Europe when his contract runs out, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Though coach Jim Boylan reportedly likes what he sees from the Mexican-born center, there hasn't been enough practice time to incorporate him into the rotation. We've got a few more tidbits to share from around the league tonight, and you can find them below:
- In addition to wondering what the 76ers will do with Andrew Bynum, Tom Moore of Philly Burbs also ponders the future of Evan Turner, who will be eligible for an $8.7MM qualifying offer after he finishes his fourth year option worth $6.7MM next season. Moore adds that if Turner doesn't figure to be in the team's plans, the Sixers could look to trade him this summer or during next year's trade deadline.
- HoopsWorld's Derek Page held his weekly chat with fans earlier today, and here are some of the highlights: he sees DeMarcus Cousins as a max-level player, thinks Josh Smith could be the biggest name to move in free agency, predicts that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in Los Angeles beyond this season, and isn't sure that O.J. Mayo or Tyreke Evans are long-term solutions for the Mavericks.
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK delves into what could have been as he revisits Scott Brooks' challenging contract negotiations with the Thunder last summer, and discussing the possibility that he could have joined the Trail Blazers.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reeled in some quotes about upcoming free agency from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Our goal is to win championships, not win the summer, and so we have to see what’s available and what’s out there…We do the same thing we do every year and be opportunistic. We’re going to be opportunistic, and depending on how things go, we’ll make our decision."
Northwest Notes: Thunder, Jazz, Millsap, Martin
The Magic made things competitive against the Thunder last night but ultimately Oklahoma City pulled out the win with a strong fourth quarter effort. Kevin Durant had 25 points on the evening while Serge Ibaka pulled down 13 boards in the 97-89 win. The Thunder now find themselves 2.5 games back of the surging Spurs and could still pass them for the No. 1 seed in the West. Here’s more on OKC and the rest of the Northwest..
- Speaking of Orlando and Oklahoma City, the Magic are using the Thunder as a model for their rebuilding effort, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. That plan starts with General Manager Rob Hennigan, who was a key part of the Thunder’s rebuilding in their front office.
- Coach Tyrone Corbin says that having eight players bound for free agency may be taking a toll on the Jazz, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It may have a little something to do with where we are,” Corbin said. “We can’t do anything about it. We’ve got to play our way through it, that stuff we can’t do anything about until it’s time to do something about it.” Both Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap could hit the open market this summer.
- Some questioned the Thunder when they traded James Harden to Houston before the start of this season, but Kevin Martin has proven to be a valuable piece for them. HoopsWorld (video link) spoke to the guard about his play in OKC in 2012/13.
Western Notes: Kings, Grizzlies, Jazz, Warriors
Having dropped nine of their last 12 games, the Jazz will play a crucial contest tonight in Houston. According to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Twitter link), Utah's playoff chances will increase to 38.7% with a win against the Rockets today, but would drop to 18.7% with a loss. As the Jazz prepare for what is virtually a must-win game, let's round up a few Western Conference notes….
- Sacramento city officials remain on track to unveil a proposal for funding a new arena on Thursday, according to Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis, and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Releasing the term sheet for public viewing on Thursday would give Sacramento City Council five days to examine it before voting on Tuesday.
- Grizzlies players have come around on management's belief that Memphis is a better team following the trade that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto, as Zach Randolph tells Sam Amick of USA Today: "You're (getting) the whole team playing one way, and guys sticking to what they do and playing together, playing for each other and playing defense and playing inside-out basketball. It's a lot better – a better mindset – playing like that…. When it first happened, everybody was down about it, especially because Rudy was like a brother to us. It was difficult at first. You wouldn't think it would be this way now, but it is."
- Asked about his 2013/14 player option, Marvin Williams said that he hasn't even thought about his decision yet, according to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Oram notes that Williams is unlikely to exceed the $7.5MM he'd make in his option year on the open market, and he seems to like playing in Utah, so he's a good bet to be back with the Jazz (Twitter links).
- Responding to a Tim Kawakami piece on how a rumored James Harden/Klay Thompson swap between the Thunder and Warriors in 2012 would have been impossible, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com explores some ways in which a deal could have worked.
Jazz Won’t Re-Sign Travis Leslie
Travis Leslie's 10-day contract with the Jazz will expire tonight, and with Utah off today, Leslie's time with the club is essentially over. According to the team's official Twitter account, the Jazz have decided not to re-sign Leslie to a second 10-day deal.
Leslie, 22, didn't see any game action with the Jazz during his brief stint with the team, and hasn't appeared in a regular-season contest since last March with the Clippers. The 6'4" guard spent most of this season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 16.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG while shooting 51.5% from the floor in 28 games for Golden State's D-League affiliate.
The Jazz had been carrying 15 players prior to signing Leslie, releasing Raja Bell to make room. When Leslie's deal expires overnight, Utah will open up that 15th spot again, so an additional roster move won't be necessary if the club decides to add another player in Leslie's place.