Jazz Exercise 2013/14 Option On Tyrone Corbin
The Jazz have extended head coach Tyrone Corbin's contract an additional year, exercising their 2013/14 option on his contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move will keep Corbin under contract through the next two seasons.
"Greg Miller, Randy Rigby and Kevin O’Connor made an excellent choice when they selected Tyrone Corbin to lead this team. I have been very impressed with Ty’s leadership skills, as well as his openness and collaborative nature," said Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey in a statement. "He inherited a young team under difficult circumstances and did a remarkable job last season of developing our players and advancing the team to the playoffs. He has shown poise, steadiness and an overall passion for the franchise’s well-being that I am confident will serve the Jazz well moving forward"
Although Corbin had occasional issues with players such as Raja Bell and C.J. Miles last season, he led Utah to a solid showing on the court. The Jazz had a 36-30 record and earned a No. 8 seed in the Western Conference in Corbin's first full year as the team's head coach.
Warriors, Jazz, Others Discussed James Harden
10:56am: Suns president Lon Babby confirmed to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that Phoenix had been engaged with the Thunder in trade talks for Harden, though he says that no proposal ever gained serious traction.
"We were engaged in discussions on numerous occasions," Babby said. "We most recently met in person when we played them [on October 19th]. At the end of the day, there wasn’t a deal that was workable for both sides."
8:53am: According to Zach Lowe of Grantland.com, Thunder GM Sam Presti had at least "semi-serious" trade conversations involving James Harden with a number of teams before eventually accepting the Rockets' offer. Lowe says the Warriors, Jazz, Wizards, and Raptors were among the teams that Presti spoke to before sending Harden to Houston. We heard yesterday that the Suns also pursued a trade for Harden.
The Thunder were seeking a sure-thing player who was still in the first year or two of his rookie deal, according to Lowe. That means Presti figures to have inquired on players like Klay Thompson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Bradley Beal, and Jonas Valanciunas. Lowe adds that the Thunder GM likely started the process by reaching out to the Hornets about Anthony Davis, though I imagine that conversation didn't last too long.
Here are a few more Harden-related links, as reactions continue to pour in on one of the year's most surprising trades:
- Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman reports that the Thunder made a last-ditch offer to Harden on Friday, proposing a four-year, $53MM extension. The team gave him a one-hour window to accept it, telling him that if he turned it down, he'd be traded to Houston. According to Tramel's sources, Harden said he needed three days to make a decision, but because the Rockets wanted time to negotiate an extension before Wednesday's deadline, Presti stuck to the one-hour window.
- The pieces the Thunder acquired for Harden are the same sort of assets the team used to initially build itself into a perennial contender, opines Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
- Members of the Spurs, a team the Thunder eliminated from the playoffs earlier this year, were surprised by the deal, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. "It's kind of weird to look at OKC and think of them without their Big Three," Danny Green said. "Things are different. Obviously they're still going to be a good team."
Odds & Ends: Harden, Lawson, Jazz, Beasley
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday night:
- Rockets coach Kevin McHale talked to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen about the addition of James Harden. McHale doesn't believe Harden will have trouble transitioning from the sixth-man role he played in Oklahoma City to a starting job in Houston.
- George Karl calls Ty Lawson's extension negotiations with the Nuggets a "distraction," according to Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake tribune writes that the Jazz have already developed chemistry, which the team believes will work to its benefit.
- Yahoo's Marc Spears writes that Michael Beasley is hoping to rehabilitate his public image in Phoenix this season.
Northwest Rumors: Harden, Dorsey, Lawson
The James Harden trade continues to make news, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman weighs in with a lengthy list of observations while Ken Berger of CBSSports.com deems the trade a success for the Thunder, the Rockets and Harden. Berger holds it up as an illustration of the bold, proactive moves that small-market teams must make to stay competitive. As the rest of the NBA digests what the move means, here's more news on the Thunder and their Northwest Division rivals.
- The swap likely results in a trade exception worth $2,445,480 for the Thunder, an amount equal to Cole Aldrich's salary, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors observes. The Rockets seem to be in line for an exception worth $2,354,236, based on a portion of Kevin Martin's salary. Both exceptions expire one year from yesterday, as noted on our list of trade exceptions for every NBA team.
- The Thunder and Blazers could be interested in former NBA forward Joey Dorsey, whose status with the Greek club Olympiacos is in limbo, reports Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes the Nuggets overpaid for JaVale McGee, putting the onus on the need to rectify the move by giving Ty Lawson an extension worth no less than $48MM over four seasons.
- Will Conroy's contract is partially guaranteed for $100K, and according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, he'll likely remain on the Timberwolves roster until Ricky Rubio proves he's healthy.
- It's the first season with a full training camp for Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, who could use a successful year to influence the Jazz to pick up the team option on his contract for 2013/14, as Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune observes.
Odds & Ends: Smith, Dorsey, Suns, Pacers
There seems to be an increasing reluctance to lock fourth-year players up to extensions prior to their restricted free agency, Sean Deveney writes in his latest piece for The Sporting News. With this year's extension deadline looming, only Blake Griffin and Serge Ibaka have re-upped with their respective teams so far. As we wait to see which other extension candidates may sign new deals in the next few days, let's tackle a few odds and ends from around the Association:
- Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along word that Jamar Smith, who was cut from Celtics camp, has joined Gilboa Galil in Israel.
- There are whispers that Greek team Olympiacos has agreed to release Joey Dorsey, tweets David Pick of Sportando. Dorsey may have an agreement lined up to join an NBA team — he hinted as much on his Facebook page, but has since deleted the post (hat tip to Sportando).
- The Suns will carry a pair of undrafted rookies, Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett, on their roster to start the regular season, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Neither player figures to see regular time in the Suns' rotation, but GM Lance Blanks is optimistic about the Suns' player development staff working with the young duo.
- The last of the Pacers on a fully non-guaranteed contract, Ben Hansbrough is hoping to stick around Indiana, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- With Robert Pera's purchase of the Grizzlies having been approved by the league, the team will remain in Memphis long-term, and Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal thinks that's worth celebrating.
- Sam Smith's latest mailbag at Bulls.com touches on James Harden, Gilbert Arenas, and plenty of Bulls-related topics.
- The Jazz brought Randy Foye aboard this season to be a shooter, but it turns out Foye is seeing plenty of time at the point, says Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Jazz Exercise Options On Four Players
The Jazz have picked up all four rookie contract options on their docket this offseason, according to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). The team exercised its fourth-year options on Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, along with its third-year options on Enes Kanter and Alec Burks.
Favors, 2010's third overall pick, represents the priciest decision of the group, as he'll now be in line for a guaranteed $6.01MM salary in 2013/14. He and Hayward, who will earn $3.45MM in '13/14, will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2014 unless they're extended next summer. As for Kanter and Burks, they'll earn $4.51MM and $2.2MM in 2013/14, with the Jazz holding additional options on both players for the following season.
To follow option decisions from around the NBA in advance of next week's deadline, check out our rookie contract option tracker.
Jazz Waive Darnell Jackson, Chris Quinn
A week after waiving Trey Gilder and Brian Butch, the Jazz have made another pair of roster cuts, releasing Darnell Jackson and Chris Quinn after last night's game, tweets Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. Luhm adds that Utah's roster now stands at 14 players, though that number doesn't include Raja Bell, who is technically still on the roster, albeit not with the team.
Jackson and Quinn had been the last two Jazz camp invitees on summer contracts, so the remaining 14 players under contract, not including Bell, appear to be safe. That includes Kevin Murphy, whose deal is guaranteed for just $200K.
Neither Jackson or Quinn made a huge impact for the Jazz in preseason action, but Utah star Al Jefferson had praise for Jackson, a former second round pick, as Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes.
"He's always been a tough-nosed type of player," Jefferson said. "Go hard every time you step on the court. So when I found out he was in our camp, I knew it was going to be a very physical camp, that he was going to make you step up and play hard…. It's not my decision, but a guy like him, every team needs a guy like him on it."
Jazz, Raja Bell End Buyout Negotiations
WEDNESDAY, 8:03am: According to Rudoy, while he confirmed that he's no longer talking to the Jazz about a buyout for Bell, he didn't say the team is now working on trade scenarios involving his client.
"Absolutely not," Rudoy told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. "I was asked if we are discussing a buyout and I said 'no.' The rest is pure speculation. There is no trade talk that I know about."
TUESDAY, 2:08pm: The Jazz and Raja Bell are no longer discussing the possibility of the team buying out the final year of Bell's contract, agent Herb Rudoy tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. According to Rudoy, the two sides have moved past buyout negotiations, and are now talking about potential trade scenarios involving his client.
The week before training camps officially got underway, we heard that the Jazz and Bell's camp had agreed that it was "in the best interest of all parties" if Bell didn't report to the team. With the regular season now just a week away, it doesn't appear that the two sides are a whole lot closer to resolving a situation that worsened last season when Bell clashed with coach Tyrone Corbin.
Bell is owed a guaranteed $3.48MM for 2012/13, the last season of his three-year contract. If the veteran guard and his agent had been able to line up an alternate destination for the 36-year-old, I imagine they would have been able to reach an agreement with Utah on a buyout. The end of buyout negotiations suggests to me that teams aren't exactly clamoring to acquire Bell, and that working out a trade will be difficult, but that's just my speculation.
Charania mentions the Lakers and Heat as potentially "viable destinations" for the 12-year veteran.
Northwest Rumors: Bell, Wolves, Blazers, Hayward
The Thunder are the only Northwest Division team in action tonight, as they take on the Bulls, and after that, every team in the division will have just one more preseason game before final roster decisions must be made. Clubs are offering a few clues about their plans, and we round them up tonight along with other news out of the Northwest.
- The Wolves are unlikely to deal for Raja Bell, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). The Jazz are reportedly trying to trade Bell after failing to come to an agreement on a buyout.
- Wolves coach Rick Adelman said the team won't make any cuts until after the team's last preseason game on Friday, Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The team has 17 players on the roster, with Will Conroy, Mike Harris and Chris Johnson the only guys without fully guaranteed deals.
- Kevin Love's injury has pressed Wolves offseason signee Andrei Kirilenko into the starting power forward spot, but the 31-year-old Kirilenko isn't planning on changing his game to make up for Love's absence, as Richardson writes.
- Adam Morrison, Sasha Pavlovic and Coby Karl have the best chance to make the Blazers opening-night roster among the team's six players on non-guaranteed deals, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, though Karl expects to be cut. Haynes reported earlier that fellow camp invitees Demonte Harper and Dallas Lauderdale are destined for the D-League.
- Gordon Hayward is poised to take on a more significant role for the Jazz this season, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines. As our Rookie Contract Option Tracker shows, the Jazz have until the end of the month to pick up his $3.45MM option for 2013/14, but there's no real chance they'd turn it down.
Northwest Notes: Kirilenko, Carroll, Faried, Kanter
While the Thunder's 108-101 win over the Nuggets in Oklahoma City was the only Northwest game action tonight, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty going on within the division. Here are some other things happening in the Northwest:
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts said that the team's final roster decisions will not be made until next week, tweets Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge. The Blazers haven't made any cuts of late, and their roster still stands at 21. They need to get to 15 by October 31.
- David Harkins of the Winnipeg Sun writes that Andrei Kirilenko has begun to get comfortable in Minnesota, and the 6'9" Russian is extremely excited for the upcoming Timberwolves' season.
- DeMarre Carroll and his improved jump shot are vying for a spot in the Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin's regular rotation, says Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. "Last year, Utah gave me a chance and I took advantage of my opportunity," Carroll said. "This year, coach has me in the rotation and I want to keep giving him faith that he can put me in the game — at any time of the game."
- The play of Enes Kanter has been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz this preseason, and at least some of it can be attributed to the mentorship of fellow big man Al Jefferson, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. Oram adds that with Jefferson set to be a free agent after the season, Kanter's development will be a major factor in what the team decides to do.
- After a successful rookie season, it is apparent that Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried has the tools and attitude to become one of the NBA's best rebounders, writes Benjamin Hockman of the Denver Post. Faried averaged 7.7 rebounds in only 22.5 minutes per game, but figures to get increased playing time this season. In seven playoff games, he averaged 10.0 rebounds in 27.4 minutes.