Eastern Notes: Fournier, Embiid, Brown, Nene
Evan Fournier turned down a four-year, $32MM extension offer from the Magic before this month’s November 2nd rookie scale extension deadline, league sources told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Orlando and the Bouna Ndiaye client reportedly never came close to a deal, and Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer.
“To be honest, I did not even expect to be extended,” Fournier said. “I had no pressure about that. If there was something good, I will take it. If not, I can wait until the summer. I don’t have to worry about it and make the wrong decision. I have confidence in myself and the season that I’ll have. The contract will take care of itself. You can’t go on the court and think about a deal. You must be focused and you must have the right mindset.”
Fournier doesn’t have his sights set on becoming a No. 1 option for a team, but he’s motivated to put his days as an afterthought behind him, as Charania examines. See more from the Eastern Conference:
- Joel Embiid appears to be carrying himself with more maturity and seriousness than before, knowing he must commit to his rehabilitation, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Sixers had reportedly been concerned about his conditioning, among other worries about the former No. 3 overall pick, but he’s been keeping himself in shape, Aldridge writes. It’s a dose of positive news for the 0-14 Sixers, who remain committed to their loss-laden rebuilding plan, as Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors wrote as he examined the team’s moves from the past several months.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown wondered if his job was in jeopardy a year ago amid an 0-17 start for the team, but GM Sam Hinkie assured him then that he’s a major part of the plan, and the coach has earned respect within the organization for his persistence, Aldridge writes in the same piece.
- Nene has been a starter for most of his career and has expressed disdain for playing center in the past, but so far, he’s accepted his role as backup center on the Wizards, and his team-leading 18 points Sunday helped show his value, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Nene is set for free agency at season’s end.
Eastern Notes: Harris, Stoudemire, Dudley
Despite beginning their inaugural campaign winless, the Raptors‘ D-League affiliate isn’t going to judge its success based on winning percentage, but rather by how well it develops the franchise’s young talent like Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. “It’s hard because so much in professional basketball is gauged on wins and losses, and it’s just not that way here,” said Raptors 905 coach Jesse Mermuys. “That’s not the goal and so really if we start getting guys called up, then we’re having success. And if we start losing players to other teams and for some reason Lucas and Bruno are able to enter a [NBA] game this season for whatever reason and perform at a decent level, then it’s a success. We’re just going to really focus on the players, put the players’ development in the forefront. That’s a hard thing for a coach to do but I’m fully aware of it. I’m committed to it.”
Here’s more from the East:
- The Cavaliers have assigned shooting guard Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the second jaunt of the season to Canton for Harris.
- Heat power forward Amar’e Stoudemire has only made two appearances this season and says that keeping himself prepared for this type of role is the most difficult thing that he has had to do in his career, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald tweets. The veteran big man inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with Miami this past summer.
- Jared Dudley is finally healthy and he is beginning to make an impact on the court for the Wizards, but despite the swingman being primarily known as a scorer, he’s finding other ways to contribute to the team, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com notes. “It’s not so much scoring,” coach Randy Wittman said of Dudley. “Spacing, smart, ball movement, being in the right spot, fighting his tail off at the defensive end. I like those things that he’s done the last couple of games.“
Martell Webster Out For Season
FRIDAY, 3:55pm: Webster underwent successful surgery today and he is expected to miss the remainder of the season, the Wizards announced.
11:32am: It’s usually an eight-to-10 month recovery timetable, a person with knowledge of the situation told Castillo for an updated version of his story. It was Webster who cited four to six months.
9:28am: The injury will knock him out nine to 10 months, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com, threatening his availability for training camp next season. The Wizards will apply for a disabled player exception, Michael adds.
WEDNESDAY, 9:14am: Wizards small forward Martell Webster will have surgery Friday on his ailing right hip and expects to miss four to six months, reports Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The news is not entirely surprising, since he told reporters last month that surgery was among the solutions in play to address the issue, which entailed a bone spur that had caused a tear in his labrum. The injury affects him financially, since he had to play in 70 games this season to bump the $2.5MM partial guarantee on his salary next season to a full guarantee of more than $5.845MM. Webster was determined to try to play through it, going so far as to use balance-correcting glasses to keep him from leaning too heavily on his right side, but he has yet to make it into a game so far this season.
“We tried everything else and I just wasn’t getting the results that I wanted,” Webster said, according to Castillo. “So I wanted to go out and get it taken care of rather than playing this season in some discomfort and then wait until the offseason to get it taken care of and then rehab the whole offseason and then try to find a rhythm come training camp. I’d rather take care of it now.”
Webster was adamant that he won’t retire because of the surgery, noting that a doctor told him that he has an 85% chance of returning to play at some point, Castillo writes. The early end of his recovery timetable would have him back by late March, though six months would likely wipe out his season.
Doctors would have to determine that Webster is likely to miss the season for Washington to be able to apply for a disabled player exception worth half of Webster’s nearly $5.614MM salary this season. The Wizards have a full 15-man roster, and Alan Anderson is out until sometime next month. Still, Washington doesn’t qualify to apply for a hardship provision of a 16th roster spot.
Eastern Notes: Knight, Porter, Jackson
Bucks coach Jason Kidd discussed why the team dealt Brandon Knight to the Suns last season, and noted that the reasoning was purely financial, with Milwaukee not wanting to have two max salary players in its backcourt, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel writes. “I wouldn’t say we gave up a lot,” Kidd said. “He [Knight] was having a great season, and he’s having a great season this year. But it wasn’t we gave up Brandon. We had a decision to make between our backcourt. It wasn’t Klay Thompson or Stephen Curry. We weren’t going to max out our backcourt. As an organization, we had a decision to make, and we made it.” The Bucks re-signed Khris Middleton this summer to a five-year, $70MM deal, while Knight re-signed with Phoenix for the same terms.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Wizards are gaining trust in young small forward Otto Porter, and his playing time has increased as a result, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. It’s Porter’s ability to do the little things as well as make his teammates around him better that has impressed the team, Michael adds. “He does a great job of pushing the pace. He’s comfortable putting the ball on the floor and making plays for other people,” John Wall said of Porter. “Always going to be averaging around nine or 10 rebounds because he’s always in the right position at the right time. He’s always in helpside defense. He’s does the little things on the basketball court that people don’t get noticed for.”
- Knicks president Phil Jackson has not been more involved with the team this campaign despite his offseason statement indicating that he intended to take a more active role, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “Maybe a couple times earlier in training camp, we had some kind of sat down and talked about some things visually at the same time. So far, it’s our typical mornings-after-the-game conversations or email exchanges,” coach Derek Fisher told Bondy. “Sometimes before practice we’ll visit for a few minutes. But not really any hardcore film sessions together. Although when those opportunities do present themselves, I’ll definitely be happy to participate.”
- Joe Johnson is struggling to find other ways to help the Nets as he deals with the cumulative effects of age and injuries, and the veteran has gone from a scoring threat to more of a facilitator in the team’s offense, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. “People make such a big thing about him being such a dominant scorer, but being his teammate these past two years, he’s such a willing passer.” Jarrett Jack said of Johnson. “Joe being selfless enough to make those plays and take advantage of those opportunities speaks volumes about him as a person and a player.”
Eastern Notes: Gortat, Budenholzer, Zeller, Hoiberg
The Wizards‘ Marcin Gortat is upset about being singled out by coach Randy Wittman following Tuesday’s 24-point loss to the Thunder, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Wittman angrily said that even he could get one defensive rebound in 27 minutes, as Gortat did in the blowout. “I don’t think it was necessary to call me out in the media like that,” Gortat said. “But it happened. I heard a different story in training camp, that stuff like that won’t happen. But it happened. So I disagree with what he did.” Gortat still has four seasons left on a five-year, $60MM deal he signed in 2014.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Hawks released a statement this evening from coach/executive Mike Budenholzer explaining his absence from Friday’s game. “On Friday morning, I returned to Atlanta from Boston to be with my family due to an emergency medical situation involving my wife,” Budenholzer wrote. “We are encouraged by her progress to this point and remain cautiously optimistic.” He promised to return to the team “as soon as possible.” Assistant Kenny Atkinson will continue to coach the team until Budenholzer returns, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- The Celtics‘ Tyler Zeller, who was passed over for an extension earlier this month, is dealing with severely reduced playing time, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Zeller has become the odd man out in Boston’s crowded frontcourt, getting just 14 minutes of court time over five games before his role was expanded in Friday’s victory over Atlanta. “Tyler’s a really good player. We just have a lot of bigs,” said coach Brad Stevens. “I don’t know how else to say it. We haven’t shot it great, so you want to play some guys that can stretch the floor and be guarded when the floor is stretched. And that leaves at least one person out.”
- Despite a couple of disappointing losses to the Hornets and Wolves, Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune he is completely happy with the performance of new coach Fred Hoiberg. “Fred connects with the players,” Reinsdorf said. “He connects with everyone he talks to because of his experience as a player, executive and coach at the college level.” This is Hoiberg’s first NBA coaching job after spending five years at Iowa State.
Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards
Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.
Signings
- Alan Anderson: One year, $4MM. Signed via mid-level exception.
- Drew Gooden: Two years, $6.847MM. Signed via Early Bird rights. Second year is non-guaranteed.
- Gary Neal: One year, $2.1MM. Signed via biannual exception.
- Jaleel Roberts: One year, $525K. Signed via minimum-salary exception. Partially guaranteed for $10K. Waived.
Extensions
- None
Trades
- Acquired the draft rights to Kelly Oubre Jr. (No. 15 overall) from the Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Jerian Grant (No. 19 overall) and Washington’s 2016 and 2019 second round picks.
- Acquired Jared Dudley from the Bucks in exchange for Washington’s 2020 second round pick (top-55 protected).
Waiver Claims
- None
Draft Picks
- Kelly Oubre (Round 1, 15th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
- Aaron White (Round 2, 49th overall). Signed overseas.
Camp Invitees
- Josh Harrellson — waived.
- Jaron Johnson — waived.
- Toure’ Murry — waived.
- Ish Smith — waived.
Departing Players
Rookie Contract Option Decisions
- Otto Porter (fourth year, $5,893,981) — exercised
The last two seasons for the Wizards have ended with the team ousted in the second round of the playoffs, which raises legitimate concerns about the current state of their roster as well as the overall direction of the franchise. The window of contention can be fleeting in the NBA, and Washington is in danger of remaining stuck in the difficult position of being good enough to make the playoffs, but not necessarily talented enough to advance to the Conference Finals and beyond.
After what was a rather low-key offseason, the team returns the bulk of its core from 2014/15, with the most significant change being the departure of Paul Pierce, who opted to sign a three year deal worth approximately $10MM with the Clippers. While Pierce is no longer the player that he was in his heyday with Boston, he certainly provided the team with a strong veteran presence, and he was a reliable clutch performer. For that, he will surely be missed. But now that Pierce has departed, it opens the door for Otto Porter, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2013 NBA draft, to step up and prove his value to the club. The Wizards predictably exercised Porter’s fourth-year rookie option, giving him two seasons to establish himself as a player in the league, and as a part of the Wizards’ rotation, in advance of his next contract.
The franchise spent the bulk of the summer looking ahead, not to the 2015/16 season, but rather the summer of 2016, which is when Washington, D.C., native Kevin Durant is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. While this tactic may end up making this season seem like a bit of an afterthought for the team, it will certainly be looked back on as an extremely wise plan if Durant does indeed end up with the Wizards. A trio of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Durant would instantly become one of the most electric offensive units in the league, and that dream is certainly worth chasing for the team and its fans.
A key facet of the Wizards’ plan to snare Durant is the timing of when the team inks Beal to a new contract. The 22-year-old was eligible to sign a rookie scale extension prior to this year’s November 2nd deadline, but no deal was worked out, and the franchise opted for cap flexibility rather than the security of knowing the up-and-coming shooting guard was locked down for the long-term. The shooting guard believes he is worth the maximum salary, and Washington fully intends to re-sign Beal for the max next summer, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News wrote.
With Beal not signing an extension, the Mark Bartelstein client will be able to negotiate with other teams next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent, but the Wizards can match any offer sheet he might agree to. Beal could also take the drastic, and unlikely, step of signing his qualifying offer, which would be worth approximately $7.471MM, but that would represent a significant discount from his projected maximum salary of $20.4MM. Beal had gone on record saying that he was confident about working out a deal with the Wizards before the extension deadline but would be OK with either outcome, and he has no desire to play for another team, as he told Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports.
The Wizards are apparently using the same strategy that the Spurs employed with Kawhi Leonard that allowed them to sign LaMarcus Aldridge this past offseason, and one that the Pistons and Andre Drummond are also pursuing. Both franchises had decided against extensions for their young stars in an effort to preserve cap flexibility for next summer. Beal’s cap hold for the coming offseason will be $14.2MM, and that number will remain on the team’s books until the two sides sign a new contract. If the team had signed Beal to a max extension prior to the deadline, it would have added roughly an additional $6MM to Washington’s cap figure, a significant impediment if the team hopes to land Durant and supplement its roster with a respectable supporting cast. Now, thanks to Beal remaining unsigned, the Wizards could sign other free agents next summer via cap space and then use Bird rights to re-sign Beal or to match an offer sheet for him.
The franchise didn’t completely ignore this year’s squad, signing combo guard Gary Neal and swingman Alan Anderson to one-year, team friendly deals. While both players are solid veterans who provide the team with depth, neither are game-changers for the Wizards. Anderson has yet to play during the regular season, thanks to undergoing a procedure late in training camp to address a nagging issue in his left ankle. The swingman is expected to be out until December and may have already lost his expected spot in the rotation thanks to the strong early play of Porter, though Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post told us that it’s more likely Anderson takes over the minutes that Garrett Temple and Kelly Oubre Jr. are seeing.
Washington also attempted to compensate for the loss of Pierce with the acquisition of Jared Dudley from the Bucks in exchange for a heavily protected 2020 second-round pick, and with Oubre, the No. 15 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft. Dudley was a wise addition, with the veteran certainly capable of providing solid minutes if he can remain healthy. Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld also made a solid move in acquiring Oubre’s draft rights from the Hawks in exchange for two future second-rounders and the No. 19 overall pick. Oubre is a project who will take some time to develop, but he also possesses lottery-level talent, and he could evolve into a two-way force if the front office and the coaching staff show proper patience.
Washington is a franchise with enough talent to be a factor in the Eastern Conference this season, though the team likely doesn’t have enough firepower to beat the Cavaliers without a generous amount of good fortune coming its way. That’s a major reason why the franchise is anxiously awaiting its shot at luring Durant, whose presence alongside Wall and Beal would instantly make the Wizards a force to be reckoned with. The danger is in focusing too much on Durant, who isn’t necessarily going to depart Oklahoma City, and not doing all that it can to upgrade the roster this season.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Southeast Notes: Riley, Anderson, Patterson
Heat team president Pat Riley tried to convince LaMarcus Aldridge to take Miami’s mid-level exception on a one-year deal this summer with the idea of re-signing him for the maximum salary using cap space in 2016, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). That conflicts with an earlier report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who heard that Riley was selling Aldridge on the idea of signing a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers so that he could be available in 2016. The mid-level plan would have been a tough sell, especially since the Heat are limited to just the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level instead of the full $5.464MM. Aldridge ultimately wound up signing with the Spurs on a max deal that pays him $19.689MM this season. Next year’s maximum salary for Aldridge would be a projected $29.3MM, thanks to the rising salary cap and the fact that Aldridge would be a 10-year veteran and eligible for the highest maximum-salary bracket. Still, he ultimately decided against trying to recoup the losses of a financial sacrifice this season with a more lucrative max deal in 2016. See more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards have struggled on defense, ranking just 24th in defensive efficiency according to NBA.com, but coach Randy Wittman thinks the team’s newcomers are better defenders than those they replaced, notes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Alan Anderson, one of the team’s offseason signees and a key part of the team’s defensive upgrade, is out until December, though John Wall credits him for his voice in the locker room that’s helped keep the team from panicking amid its disappointing 3-4 start, as Michael details.
- The physicality of the NBA caught Hawks rookie Lamar Patterson by surprise, but he’s already had his moments, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders examines. Patterson has been in and out of the rotation already this season for Atlanta, though he hasn’t played in the past three games. The Hawks inked the 2014 No. 48 overall pick this past summer as a draft-and-stash signee.
- Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer won’t be coaching tonight in the team’s game against the Celtics in Boston, since he’s returned to Atlanta to attend to a family matter, the team announced via press release. It’s unclear how long he’ll be away. Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson will be in charge for tonight’s game, the team says.
Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Whiteside, Durant
Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis arrived in the NBA with questions regarding whether or not his thin frame could endure the nightly beatings administered by the league’s other big men, but the Latvian has shown that he can hold his own thus far, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “As you can see, I’m still skinny, I’m still light. But I fight hard and I can’t back down to anybody,” said Porzingis. “So that’s been my game; a lot of people didn’t know my game. So that’s why they thought, ‘Skinny white guy, he’s not going to be physical.’ But I still fight for those rebounds and try to do my job on the court.”
While the 20-year-old has gotten off to a solid start, averaging 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest, the coaching staff cautions against placing too high an expectation on what Porzingis will be able to accomplish this season, Begley relays. “I don’t think we could anticipate that he’d be as good as he’s been. There probably will be a stretch for two weeks where he looks bad and everybody is questioning whether we should have drafted him and all the stuff that comes with that,” coach Derek Fisher said. “He’s a rookie and there’s a lot to learn. His ceiling is a long way from wherever he is now.”
Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics have once again assigned swingman James Young and power forward Jordan Mickey to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will mark Young’s fourth jaunt to Maine of the young season, and Mickey’s third, as our tracker shows.
- One executive who spoke with Chris Mannix of SI.com said he wouldn’t sign 2016 free agent Hassan Whiteside for more than $10MM a year, which Mannix connects to the Heat big man’s track record of maturity issues.
- Kevin Durant‘s relationship with the Wizards and their fanbase will never quite be the same after making what could be his last appearance at the Verizon Center as a visiting player on Tuesday night, writes Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post. If Durant signs with Washington next offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, he will arrive with a massive set of expectations attached. But if he instead elects not to play for his hometown squad, there will be a palpable sense of disappointment present every time he plays in D.C., Steinberg opines.
- Bucks point guard Tyler Ennis credits his time spent with the Suns during the early half of the 2014/15 season for helping his development as a player along, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal-Sentinel writes. “In the long run, it helped me a lot,” Ennis said of his time in Phoenix. “Competing against those guys [Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas] in practice is not something every rookie gets to do. I learned a lot from them.” The second year player has been forced into a starting role for Milwaukee thanks to an injury to Michael Carter-Williams.
The Beat: Jorge Castillo On The Wizards
Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.
We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star about the Pacers. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.
Today, we gain insight on the Wizards from Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. You can follow Jorge on Twitter at @jorgeccastillo, and check out his stories right here.
Hoops Rumors: Kevin Durant‘s visit to Washington this week has reignited all the talk about the potential that he’ll sign with the Wizards in the summer. Durant is guarding against the rumors becoming a distraction for him, but what, if anything, are the Wizards doing to make sure their plans for the future don’t detract from what they’re doing this season?
Jorge Castillo: Every personnel decision the Wizards have made over the last two years was to improve the roster in the short-term while ensuring they’ll have the salary cap space to make a run at Durant in 2016. The strategy included not offering Paul Pierce a multi-year deal; adding Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson and Gary Neal on one-year commitments; resigning Drew Gooden III on one-year deal; and waiting to give Bradley Beal a max contract until July. With a core of Beal, John Wall, and Marcin Gortat, the Wizards believe they are a top Eastern Conference contender and would become a championship favorite with Durant.
Hoops Rumors: Are the Wizards at all worried that Beal will seek a short-term offer sheet or sign his qualifying offer, or are they fully confident that he’ll be willing to re-sign with them on a long-term max deal next summer?
Jorge Castillo: No, they’re not [worried]. The two sides mutually agreed to table contract discussions until next summer because a max contract signed next summer makes sense for both sides: The Wizards will have roughly an additional $7MM in cap space because Beal’s cap hold will be $14MM instead of $20.9 million and Beal will be able to sign a five-year deal instead of a four-year extension of his rookie contract because he’ll become a restricted free agent.
Hoops Rumors: Nene‘s name surfaced in trade rumors during the offseason, and the Wizards have removed him from the starting lineup in favor of Kris Humphries. How is Nene approaching this season, the last on his contract?
Jorge Castillo: It’s been a transition for Nene. He’s been a starter for most of his career and the Wizards as late as early last season were very dependent on him. But he accepted the decision and the Wizards hope he will be an anchor for the second unit as the backup center.
Hoops Rumors: How well has the rest of the team taken to coach Randy Wittman‘s new, more perimeter-oriented attack? Has the adjustment been fairly seamless, or have some trouble spots emerged?
Jorge Castillo: Most of the players love the idea and understand why they’re doing it: Wall and Beal are their best players and the style suits their skill sets. But the adjustment has been bumpy. They’ve turned over the ball at a drastically higher rate than last season — they combined for 50 turnovers in losses to the Celtics and Hawks — and the defense, which ranked in the top 10 each of the last seasons, has declined. It’s early in the season, though, and the team believes the operation will improve with time.
Hoops Rumors: Otto Porter is the team’s third leading scorer so far, and it seems like he keeps getting better. How good do the Wizards think he’ll eventually become?
Jorge Castillo: The Wizards believe Porter can become a very good player and the perfect complement to the team’s stars because he’s a versatile defender who doesn’t need the basketball in his hands to be a factor at the other end. He has become an effective spot-up 3-point shooter and his cutting ability is maximized in the new spacial offense. He’s only 22 so there’s plenty of room to grow.
Hoops Rumors: The Wizards spent most of their mid-level exception on Alan Anderson, who’s still yet to play for them as he continues to recover from a pair of surgeries on his left ankle. How close is he to returning, and with plenty of other rotation-caliber wing players on the roster, what role does the team envision for him when he gets back?
Jorge Castillo: Anderson likely won’t be back until December. He’ll fit into the rotation at the two and three, likely taking the minutes that are being allocated to Garrett Temple and rookie Kelly Oubre Jr. Wing depth was one of the Wizards’ weaknesses last season so they stockpiled on them during the offseason to maximize versatility in preparation for the new offense. And his defensive ability will be a welcomed addition.
And-Ones: Durant, Green, Aldridge
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News mentions the Lakers, Bulls and Knicks as major-market suitors for Kevin Durant, and the Warriors as a team that could catch his eye, but people around the league have long felt as though Durant will either sign with the Thunder or the Wizards, Deveney writes. It’s a sentiment one Eastern Conference GM who spoke with Deveney confirms. Still, Washington doesn’t plan an extravagant pitch, a source tells Deveney, in keeping with the former MVP’s low-key personality. That said, neither the Warriors nor the Heat should be ruled out as potential Durant destinations, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. See more from around the NBA:
- Gerald Green punched a man who was trying to restrain him from going from the lobby of his condo building to his unit, according to a police report that Manny Navarro and Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald obtained. The man, who elected not to press charges, was attempting to keep Green in the lobby so that he would be there when rescue officials arrived, the report states, according to Navarro and Rabin. Green had earlier approached the front desk of the lobby with bloody hands and asked for a call to paramedics, then proceeded to the valet area in front of the building and collapsed, the report continues, as Navarro and Rabin detail. Green, who was handcuffed but not arrested, was hospitalized and later released and is serving a two-game suspension from the Heat. Team president Pat Riley said the team still believes it can count on Green, who issued an apology as part of a team statement, Navarro and Rabin add.
- The Mavericks weren’t the favorites for LaMarcus Aldridge, but they still had a chance to sign him when they abandoned their pursuit to instead nail down the more certain acquisition of Wesley Matthews, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports details in an inside look at Aldridge’s free agency. Aldridge liked Kobe Bryant‘s basketball chat but little else about the Lakers presentation, while Aldridge was reluctant to share the marquee with James Harden despite an intriguing Rockets pitch and found Raptors GM Masai Ujiri appealing but not convincing enough to sway him to Toronto, according to Wojnarowski.
- The Spurs wooed Aldridge with a casual, face-to-face approach from Gregg Popovich and other San Antonio principals, Wojnarowski explains in the same piece. Popovich’s decision to fly in for a second visit, prompted by Aldridge’s second Lakers meeting, helped sealed the deal for the Spurs, thanks in part to a last-minute appeal from Riley that the Heat president intended to use to sell Aldridge on a secondary role in Miami, Wojnarowski writes. Instead, Aldridge took Riley’s message to heart as he embraced the idea of sacrificing some of his impressive offensive numbers in San Antonio’s egalitarian offense, as the Yahoo scribe details.