Southeast Notes: Winslow, Howard, Bazemore
Pat Riley anointed Justise Winslow as the Heat’s starting small forward for next season, but he hasn’t addressed the larger question of power forward, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Riley expressed his confidence in Winslow during a news conference Saturday, saying the rookie will be penciled in as the starting three for 2016/17. But if Chris Bosh isn’t medically cleared to play, that leaves Josh McRoberts, Luke Babbitt and Udonis Haslem as candidates to start alongside Winslow and Hassan Whiteside on the front line. Riley said even though Winslow is only 20, he’s ready to be an NBA starter. “I remember when James Worthy came to the Lakers and Jamaal Wilkes was incumbent,” Riley said, “and then there came that time, there came that time when it was just a matter of time when James Worthy was going to take his position.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Dwight Howard hopes his return home to Atlanta will revitalize his career, according to Steve Hummer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 30-year-old center, who signed a three-year deal worth $70.5MM with the Hawks, has even changed his number to 8 to signify “a new beginning.” Howard insists that his back, which required surgery in 2012, is no longer a problem. “My back hasn’t been an issue,” he said, “and I don’t think I’ll ever have an issue out of my back for the rest of my career.”
- Kent Bazemore‘s comments at the press conference after he re-signed with the Hawks showed how much he wanted to stay in Atlanta, relays K.L. Chouinard of NBA.com. Bazemore, who landed a four-year, $70MM contract in free agency, said it was important to remain with the team he joined two seasons ago. “This is one of the high points of my life,” he said, “and I couldn’t choose a better place to be. I said I wasn’t going to get emotional, but I just love it here, you know. People have just embraced me and it just feels like home, man.”
- It’s hard to understand why the Wizards re-signed Marcus Thornton so early in free agency, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic. Thornton, who received a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, projects as a fifth guard, Standig contends, adding that it’s unusual for teams to fill roster spots with those type of players before Summer League begins.
Wizards Nearly Inked Zaza Pachulia
The Wizards were close to an agreement with Zaza Pachulia on a two-year deal worth $20MM, sources tell J. Michael of Comcast Sportsnet. According to Michael, Washington became noncommittal, which caused the big man to look elsewhere. Pachulia ended up signing a one-year, $2.9MM contract with the Warriors and the Wizards signed Ian Mahinmi.
- Despite doling out a four-year, $64MM deal to Mahinmi, the Wizards don’t have any plans to trade starting center Marcin Gortat, Michael reports in the same piece.
Wizards, Danuel House Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Wizards have agreed to a two-year deal with undrafted free agent Danuel House, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). House had played for Washington’s Summer League squad this month, but didn’t officially have a spot on the team’s 20-man fall roster.
With his new deal, House will be in attendance at training camp for the Wizards later this year, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com, who tweets that the Texas A&M alum got a partial guarantee as part of the agreement. Michael had written this morning that, given House’s solid showing in Summer League play, the Wizards might end up regretting it if they had let him go.
House, a 6’7″ forward, was ranked as 2016’s 87th-best prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. The 23-year-old averaged 15.6 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 36 appearances during his senior year at Texas A&M.
In other Wizards news, the team won’t have to make a decision right away on whether or not to keep Jarell Eddie, writes Michael at CSNMidAtlantic.com. Eddie’s contract was originally set to become guaranteed if he remained on Washington’s roster beyond today, but the two sides have agreed to push back that deadline until the start of the regular season. That will allow the 24-year-old forward to compete for a roster spot this fall, rather than being cut today.
Raduljica Turned Down Offer From Wizards
Serbian big man Miroslav Raduljica turned down a minimum salary offer from the Wizards and is headed back overseas instead, international journalist David Pick reports (on Twitter). The 28-year-old has inked a a two-year deal with Olimpia Milano in Italy, Pick notes. Raduljica last appeared in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign, playing in five games for the Timberwolves and averaging 1.6 points and 1.0 rebound in 4.6 minutes per game. His shooting line was .375/.000/1.000.
- The Wizards have invited forward Michael Eric to training camp, but that offer doesn’t include any salary, merely a shot at making the roster, J. Michael of CSNMid-Atlantic.com relays (Twitter links). The 28-year-old spent last season with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ D-League affiliate.
Community Shootaround: Most Improved Lottery Team In East?
This past spring, the Bulls, Wizards, Magic, Bucks, Knicks, Nets, and 76ers all failed to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, finishing in the lottery. All seven of those teams have been very active so far this offseason, signing free agents and adding players to their roster via trades and/or the draft.
The Bulls and Knicks have perhaps been the most visible of the Eastern lottery teams in recent weeks, beginning with the five-player trade they completed that sent Derrick Rose to New York and Robin Lopez to Chicago. Since then, the Bulls have added Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in free agency, while the Knicks have signed Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings, among others.
The two lottery teams from the Southeast – the Wizards and Magic – have also undergone some roster upheaval this summer. Washington re-upped restricted free agent Bradley Beal and made changes elsewhere, bringing in Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson, and Jason Smith, while letting go of Nene, Jared Dudley, and Ramon Sessions. Orlando was even more active, re-signing Evan Fournier, trading for Serge Ibaka, and adding D.J. Augustin, Jeff Green, and Bismack Biyombo.
The Bucks have been a little quieter, but they secured a pair of solid role players in free agency, signing Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic. They also drafted Thon Maker, adding another athletic prospect with upside to a promising young core.
Like Milwaukee, the Sixers didn’t make a huge splash, but with Gerald Henderson, Jerryd Bayless, and Sergio Rodriguez entering the mix, the rebuilding franchise has more of a veteran presence. And if Dario Saric finalizes a deal with Philadelphia, the club feels it has three players – Saric, Joel Embiid, and No. 1 pick Ben Simmons – capable of competing for the Rookie of the Year award.
Finally, the Nets missed out on two RFA targets, when their offer sheets for Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe were matched. Their other free agent signings, including Jeremy Lin, Greivis Vasquez, Trevor Booker, Luis Scola, and Justin Hamilton – have been modest.
Today’s discussion question focuses on these seven teams, and their offseason transactions. Which team do you think improved the most? Which series of moves do you like best? Which of these non-playoff teams do you think is most likely to end up qualifying for the postseason next spring?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Bulls, Wizards, Magic, Bucks, Knicks, Nets, and Sixers. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Alan Anderson Still On Wizards' Radar
- There were some players and coaches for the Wizards last season who viewed Gary Neal as “selfish,” and as someone who was most concerned about his own stats, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. On his Facebook page this week, Neal posted some of those stats as he attempted to make a case for why he should be in line for a free-agency payday.
- Although the Wizards had been expected to meet with Alan Anderson over the weekend, that meeting still hadn’t happened as of Monday afternoon, tweets Michael. However, Anderson remains in the picture for Washington, per the CSN scribe.
Burke Gets New Start In Washington
- Former lottery pick Trey Burke is excited about the chance to revive his career with the Wizards, writes Gene Wang of The Washington Post. Washington acquired the third-year point guard last week in a trade with the Jazz, sending a 2021 second-round pick to Utah in return. Burke had fallen to the bottom of the depth chart in Utah and figured to have his playing time severely cut with the Jazz trading for George Hill and getting Dante Exum back from a year-long injury. Instead, he gets to join the Wizards and back up one of his favorite points guards. “I think it’s just a good fit for me, obviously playing behind John Wall,” Burke said. “He’s an established guard right now. Learning from him, I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the city. It’s just great to know that I’m welcome to another organization.” Burke has one year left on his contract at nearly $3.4MM.
Wizards To Sign Daniel Ochefu
The Wizards have reached an agreement on a contract with unrestricted free agent Daniel Ochefu, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, minimum salary deal for Ochefu that includes a partial guarantee of $50K for next season, Pincus adds.
The forward out of Villanova went undrafted this year and has to be considered a longshot to make the opening night roster. The Wizards have already bolstered their bench this offseason, adding Ian Mahinmi, Jason Smith and Andrew Nicholson to split time backing up Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris.
In 37 appearances as a senior for the Wildcats, Ochefu notched averages of 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 23.4 minutes per outing. His shooting line for 2015/16 was .627/.000/.684.
Wizards Acquire Trey Burke
JULY 7TH: The trade is now official, the Jazz announced.
JULY 3RD: The Jazz are close to completing a trade that will send point guard Trey Burke to the Wizards, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Utah will reportedly receive a second-round pick in return (Twitter link). The pick is for 2021, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge.
Burke has been on the trading block since the Jazz made a deal to acquire George Hill from the Pacers. Burke has spent his entire three-year career with Utah after being acquired from the Timberwolves in a 2013 draft-day deal. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season in a reserve role, but there were rumblings that Jazz management had soured on Burke after he failed to win the starting job when Dante Exum was lost for the season with an injury.
Burke’s acquisition may mean the Wizards are not planning to re-sign point guards Ramon Sessions and Garrett Temple. Both are 30-year-old free agents.
Free Agent Notes: Timberwolves, Wizards, Randolph
- The Wizards have interest in re-signing shooting guard Alan Anderson and will meet with him this weekend, league sources told J. Michael of CSNmidlatlantic.com (Twitter links). The meeting is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Michael adds. Anderson, who made $4MM last season, appeared in just 13 games with the Wizards after undergoing a second surgery on his left ankle. The previous season, he played in 74 games with the Nets and averaged 7.4 points in 23.6 minutes.
- Shooting guard Brandon Paul is drawing major interest around the league after some strong performances for the Hornets’ summer-league team, Sportando tweets. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through four games in the Orlando Summer League. The 6’4” Paul went undrafted in 2013 out of the University of Illinois and has been playing for a Spanish league team, FIATC Joventut.
- Forward Anthony Randolph will remain in Europe and sign a one-year deal with Spain’s Real Madrid, a source told Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Randolph received interest from the Mavericks this summer, Spears adds. The contract will be the $1.5MM-$2MM range, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’11” Randolph hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2013/14 season, when he appeared in 43 games with the Nuggets.
- Power forward Willie Reed has drawn interest from the Warriors, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Timberwolves and Pacers, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed, an unrestricted free agent, averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes over 39 games with the Nets last season.
- Free agent center Robert Sacre, who played the last four seasons with the Lakers, has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and Rockets, Wolfson reports in a separate tweet.