Sorensen On Jazz’ Options At Point Guard
Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News has a new column exploring the options the Utah Jazz will have at point guard this offseason. Here are the key points regarding how Utah might address this roster spot:
- Out the four point guards from their 2011/12 roster, Blake Ahearn is more likely than Devin Harris, Earl Watson, or Jamaal Tinsley to not return to the team next year.
- Though the Jazz may look to get younger at point guard through the draft or free agency, management has been pleased with the performance of Harris, who has one season left on his contract.
- Tinsley expressed interest in returning to Utah. The Jazz hold a $1.3MM team option on his contract for the 2012/13 season.
- Sorensen mentions Steve Nash and Andre Miller as options for the Jazz to pursue in free agency, but cautions that their age prevents them from being long-term solutions.
Northwest Links: Harden, Ibaka, Howard, Tinsley
We'll find out tonight if the Thunder and Nuggets will have a rematch of their first-round playoff series from last season. While Kevin Durant waits to see who his second-round opponent will be, he responded to the news that he finished second to LeBron James in the MVP voting. "I've been second since high school, man. I was drafted second. I was the second best player in high school. And second in MVP voting twice," Durant said to reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter links). "So I'm over that being second stuff." Here's the rest of what's going on with Northwest Division teams:
- Justin Kubatko of The New York Times argues that James Harden and Serge Ibaka, both of whom are eligible for extensions to their rookie contracts this summer, hold the keys to the title for the Thunder.
- The Jazz gambled and won with this year's signings of Josh Howard and Jamaal Tinsley, a pair of players who have been the subject of controversy in years past, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Utah, 27th in three-point percentage during the regular season, could use some outside shooting, and Brad Rock of the Deseret News advises the Jazz to go after Clippers sixth man Mo Williams, who has an $8.5MM player option for next year. One player Rock says the team should not pursue is former BYU star Jimmer Fredette.
Williams Meets With King, Prokhorov In Istanbul
The Euroleague's Final Four is underway in Istanbul, and there are a few interesting names among those in attendance. Deron Williams, Nets GM Billy King, and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov are at CSKA Moscow's semifinal today against Panathinaikos, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
We already knew King would be on hand in Istanbul to meet with Nets' 2011 draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic, but to have Williams and Prokhorov there as well is a promising sign for the Nets. Even if it's not necessarily a concrete indicator that the star point guard is leaning toward re-signing with Brooklyn, Williams' presence alongside the Nets' brass can't hurt. It also suggests the team's front office is continuing to keep him in the loop on potential moves and roster decisions.
Besides meeting with Bogdanovic, the Nets also will be keeping an eye on Andrei Kirilenko, who is playing for CSKA Moscow. Recent reports suggesting the Nets had a handshake agreement with Kirilenko were shot down, but Bontemps says the team has been monitoring the Russian forward's play overseas. For his part, Kirilenko is undecided about where he'll be playing next year, as he recently told Reuters' Zoran Milosavljevic.
"I have a huge history with the Utah Jazz and they are a priority for me among the 30 teams competing in the NBA, while CSKA are just as close to my heart in Europe," Kirilenko said. "When the Final Four is over I will weigh my options and make a decision."
C.J. Miles Interested In Mavericks
After suggesting the Jazz didn't treat him right this season and taking a shot at coach Tyrone Corbin's communication skills, C.J. Miles appears likely to sign with another team as an unrestricted free agent this summer. One potential destination that intrigues the Texas native is his hometown Mavericks, as he told Dirk Facer of the Deseret News.
"If that was an issue that came up I definitely would look at it. Who wouldn't, especially with the way that team is built now," Miles said. "They're aging a little bit and I'm pretty sure they're going to be looking for some guys that do some of the things I do."
Although he set career highs in PPG (12.8), MPG (25.2), and PER (14.4) in 2010/11, Miles wasn't quite as productive this season, averaging 9.1 points per contest and shooting just 38.1% from the floor, his lowest mark since 2006/07. Still, even after seven seasons with the Jazz, Miles is only 25 years old, making him one of the younger unrestricted free agents on the market. Coming off a four-year, $14.8MM contract in Utah, he's a good bet to find another multiyear deal this offseason.
Northwest Rumors: J.R. Smith, Jazz, Nolan Smith
The Nuggets took a major step toward joining the Thunder in the second round with a win over the Lakers last night, while the rest of the Northwest looks ahead at the offseason. Here's the latest from the division:
- Former Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, who's expected to turn down his $2.5MM Knicks option for next season, has been keeping a close watch on his former team as they play in the postseason, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida.
- Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune says Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor is poised to make only minor moves this summer, but Smith believes the franchise is still searching for its identity.
- Pete Christopher of OregonLive.com encourages the Blazers to hang on to Nolan Smith, the 21st pick in last year's draft, and go after an experienced veteran point guard to mentor him.
Odds & Ends: Olympics, Singleton, Jazz, Maxiell
There are 53 days remaining until 2012's free agent period gets underway, as Hoops Rumors continues to examine the stock of many of this summer's top available players. While we think we have a good idea of players' values heading into the offseason, there's no telling how high the bidding might go for certain free agents. Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld takes an early look at what players might benefit from an overly aggressive suitor or two, naming 12 candidates to be overpaid in free agency.
Here are a few other odds and ends from around the NBA:
- NBA commissioner David Stern told Jim Rome on Tuesday that the league will consider implementing a shorter season in the future, though he cautioned that there would be plenty of complications. Beckley Mason and Henry Abbott of ESPN's TrueHoop have the details.
- Team France has named its preliminary 18-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets that the NBA players on the list include Nicolas Batum, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi, Joakim Noah, Tony Parker, Kevin Seraphin, and Ronny Turiaf.
- The Wizards are interested in bringing back unrestricted free agent James Singleton, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune doesn't think the Jazz's personnel is quite as "perfect" going forward as Derrick Favors believes.
- Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars reiterated to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he'd love to have Jason Maxiell back next season. Maxiell holds a $5MM player option for 2012/13 and recently hired agent Andy Miller.
Odds & Ends: Woodson, Van Gundy, Jazz, Perkins
With an exciting night of NBA playoff madness still underway, we take a break from the action to catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league.
- Mike Woodson has done more than enough to get a shot at coaching the Knicks for an entire season, writes Neil Best of Newsday (subscribers only).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today says Stan Van Gundy would like to return to the Magic next season but realizes that decision is not entirely up to him.
- The Jazz could have a busy offseason ahead of them as they look to add depth at the point guard and power forward positions, reports HoopsWorld's Derek Page.
- The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry thinks Kendrick Perkins' health is a big question mark as the Thunder look ahead to the second round of the playoffs.
- The Plain Dealer's Mike Pettica has the latest updates on the Cavs' plans for the upcoming NBA draft.
- Mavs center Brendan Haywood discusses in a radio interview why adding Deron Williams to the roster would pay huge dividends for the team in the immediate future.
- The signing of Shane Battier has proven to be fruitful for the Heat especially considering the defense he has been playing against Carmelo Anthony, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News.
Jazz Rumors: Howard, Tinsley, Jefferson, Miles
Following the team's four-game sweep at the hands of the Spurs, members of the Jazz have been conducting exit interviews with local media. Already we've heard that Raja Bell doesn't expect to return to Utah next season. Here are a few other highlights from today's session, courtesy of Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune (all links via Twitter):
- General manager Kevin O'Connor has no plans to "blow up" the roster, but will attempt to make improvements and additions. The GM also says the team is open to bringing back Josh Howard and Jamaal Tinsley.
- Coach Tyrone Corbin says the Jazz may add key pieces during the offseason, but he's prepared to move forward with a roster similar to this year's.
- Al Jefferson isn't looking ahead to his contract situation, but would like to finish his career in Utah if possible.
- Jefferson says Corbin has done a good job communicating with the team, but not all of his teammates agree. According to C.J. Miles, communication between the staff and players was much better under Jerry Sloan, and Miles never knew what was expected of him this season.
- Miles is a free agent this summer and it sounds like he'll be signing elsewhere. He says he wanted things to work in Utah, but that the team didn't treat him right. The 25-year-old added that the team was put off by Jefferson saying before Game Four that he couldn't see anyone beating the Spurs.
- Devin Harris acknowledged that communication between Corbin and the team was an issue at times, but says he thinks the coach is figuring it out and will improve.
- After his strong second half, Harris is "excited" to enter a contract year.
- DeMarre Carroll appears very likely to return to the Jazz next season.
Raja Bell Not Expecting To Return To Jazz
Raja Bell is under contract with the Jazz for one more season, but he doesn't expect to return to Utah next season, according to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Bell says he hopes the Jazz "do the right thing" and trade him, tweets Smith.
Although Bell didn't formally request a trade this year, he was the subject of some deadline rumors and clashed with coach Tyrone Corbin. According to Bell, Corbin was "unprofessional" and made things personal toward the end of the season (Twitter link). The 35-year-old adds that, if the Jazz don't move him before the 2012/13 campaign, he'll "cross that bridge" when he comes to it (Twitter link).
Bell is entering the final year of a three-year contract, and will be owed $3.48MM in 2012/13. In 34 games this season, Bell played just 23.4 minutes per game, his lowest average since 2002/03.
Odds & Ends: Allen, Hawks, Anderson, Voting
It was a day of odd sightings on the hardwood, as the Knicks overcame the loss of Baron Davis to a dislocated kneecap to win their first postseason contest in 11 years. A No. 1 seed lost a third straight playoff game as the Bulls fell to the 76ers. And in Denver, a woman with a history of stalking the Nuggets came onto the court during Game 4 against the Lakers, reports J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Here's the rest of what raised eyebrows around the Association today:
- Teams interested in Celtics free agent Ray Allen this summer might not have to worry about how he'll respond to ankle surgery, since he says he may not go through with the procedure he originally thought was inevitable. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com first tweeted the news, and Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com adds detail.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes the Hawks will deal either Josh Smith or Al Horford if the team can't rally from its 3-1 deficit to the Celtics (Twitter link). Of the two, Smith seems the easiest to trade, since 2012/13 is the last season on his contract.
- Despite a subpar showing in the playoffs so far, restricted free agent Ryan Anderson figures to be near the top of this summer's market for power forwards. There's mutual admiration between Anderson and the Magic, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, who also notes the team's recent history of matching offer sheets.
- The NBA released a statement acknowledging that Ernst & Young, the same accounting firm that handles the draft lottery, made an error tabulating the Most Improved Player of the Year voting, reports Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com. A first-place vote meant for Andrew Bynum was mistakenly counted for Andrew Bogut. Either way, award winner Ryan Anderson comes out on top of the voting.
- Fran Blinebury of NBA.com examines the divergent career paths of Spurs point guard Tony Parker and Jazz counterpart Devin Harris, more than four years after Parker expressed relief that Harris was traded away from the Mavs.