Odds & Ends: Wizards, Karasev, Sixers, West
Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld and coach Randy Wittman are both on expiring deals, and owner Ted Leonsis wants the team to show improvement this year, notes Benjamin Standig of The Associated Press.
"I expect us to be a playoff-caliber team," Leonsis said. "I think our fan base expects that too and that's the pressure I've placed on our organization, that we have to meet the expectations of our fans — and it's time."
Leonsis also said that he believes upgrades to the team's facilities will help the Wizards attract free agents in future offseasons. While Washington strives to leave the lottery behind, here's more from around the Association:
- The Cavs were sold on Sergey Karasev before the draft, and they tried unsuccessfully to trade up from the 19th pick this June, thinking it was necessary to land him, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Instead, Karasev fell to Cleveland at No. 19, and Lloyd believes that the Cavs' claim that they were surprised he dropped so low — an oft-repeated refrain about NBA draftees — rings true.
- The Sixers' decision to keep Royce White at home for their trip to Europe raised a few eyebrows, but he's not the only player the team left off the plane, notes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The pressure's on Delonte West to produce in China after he did little to woo NBA teams during his D-League stint last season, opines Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
- The Suns have 16 players on fully guaranteed deals and Dionte Christmas on a partially guaranteed contract, so it's no shock that coach Jeff Hornacek says it won't be easy for the team to decide on the opening-night roster. Matt Petersen of Suns.com provides details.
- The market squeezed plenty of productive veterans into bargain deals this summer, and Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com names six whom he thinks will be particularly valuable.
- Mavs camp invitee Renaldo Balkman is trying to overcome the stigma of the violent outburst that led a league in the Philippines to ban him, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News examines.
Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Bucks, Collins, Magic
Let's round up a few Tuesday items out of the Eastern Conference….
- In a column on the Nets' addition of Andrei Kirilenko, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report details the veteran forward's time on the open market, which initially saw him turn down overtures from the Nets. According to Zwerling, Kirilenko drew some interest from the Warriors and Spurs, and was in talks with three non-playoff teams for larger salaries before he reconsidered Brooklyn's mini mid-level offer.
- Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel rounds up several comments from Bucks owner Herb Kohl about the possibility of a new arena in Milwaukee, the offseason roster overhaul, and his aversion to tanking.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein explains why Jason Collins isn't in camp with an NBA team, and identifies three clubs that could be fits for the big man once the season gets underway, including the Wizards and Nets.
- Player development is the primary focus in Orlando, but Magic executives tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the team doesn't view developing young players and winning games as mutually exclusive.
- Pistons rookie forward Tony Mitchell is probably headed for a D-League stint at some point this season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Southeast Rumors: Porter, Williams, Wizards
The No. 2 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Otto Porter, suffered a right hip flexor injury, reports the Associated Press, and was limited in practice. Fortunately for Wizards fans, Nene Hilario and John Wall are healthy, but as Michael Lee of the Washington Post points out on Twitter, Trevor Booker was also limited in practice with a sore right knee.
Here's more on the Wizards and Hawks…
- As J. Michael of CSN Washington summarizes, the Wizards have been suffering from the injury bug as training camps open around the league. Emeka Okafor (herniated disk) and Chris Singleton (left foot/toe surgery) are already out and now Booker and Porter are limited.
- Wall added to Lee's piece that after watching footage from the 2012/13 season, he's confident of the team's success this coming year. "We know what we're capable of as a team," Wall told him. "We just got to play like we did last year, be a great defensive team, be a faster team, get out in the open court," said Wall.
- On the injury front, the Hawks scoring guard (Lou) Louis Williams has no timetable on a return from the ACL tear he suffered last season, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution [subscription only].
- Vivlamore adds that former Hawk Damien Wilkins is liable to make the team if Williams isn't able to go right away. After suffering the torn ACL in his right knee in January, the recovery period is 9-12 months and Williams has yet to participate in any scrimmaging with the team before training camp opens.
- Vivlamore goes on to include that a new coach, Mike Budenholzer, means there will be a new system in place for even the veteran Hawks to learn in this month's training camp.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes that Kemba Walker, after two years of losing in Charlotte, led a "jump-start" on the Bobcats' training camp.
Odds & Ends: Union, Turner, DiLeo, Nowitzki
The NBPA has retained Reilly Partners Inc. to help conduct a search for a new executive director to replace Billy Hunter, the union announced today (link via The Associated Press). Steve Mills was reportedly the leading candidate for the position before he accepted the Knicks' GM job this week. According to Brain Mahoney of the Associated Press (via Twitter), the union may want to build a list of about 10 candidates before making a decision. That's far from the only position up for grabs around the league as training camps open. Here's the latest:
- Evan Turner told reporters at Sixers media day today that he "was ready" to be traded at one point and was just hoping it would be to someplace warm, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link). It appears as though Turner was bracing for the possibility, rather than hoping for it.
- Former Sixers GM Tony DiLeo is set to become a scout for the Wizards, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- Dallas GM Gersson Rosas indicated today that Dirk Nowitzki could play another four or five years in a Mavericks uniform, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. "The vision for us is we want to maximize Dirk's career here,'' Rosas said.
- Rosas, who has experience as the GM of the Rockets D-League affiliate, also wants to make the D-League a key component of his strategy with the Mavs, Price notes.
- Jared Jeffries tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that multiple NBA teams offered him the chance to continue his playing career, but the former lottery pick decided to take a scouting job with the Nuggets that puts him "on the fast track" to becoming a GM.
- Three NBA clubs have shown interest in guard Tre Kelley, agent Giovanni Funiciello tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Kelley is without official NBA experience, but he went to camp with the Thunder in 2009 and the Grizzlies in 2010.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Eastern Links: Wizards, Pistons, Heat, Raps, Bulls
The Wizards have a number of option decisions due before the end of the month, and not all of them will be easy, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. Jan Vesely is coming off a disappointing year, and Chris Singleton has been sidelined by foot surgery, but president Ernie Grunfeld says the team already has a pretty good idea of where its players stand.
"We have a good feel for where [Singleton] is and what he brings to the table and it is an important year for these guys," Grunfeld said. "That's a decision we'll make at the appropriate time which will probably be at the end of [October]."
Here's more from around the East:
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News breaks down a few of the issues the Pistons need to address during training camp, including Brandon Jennings' fit, Greg Monroe's contract situation, and coaxing positive contributions out of Rodney Stuckey.
- The Heat had been hoping to bring in Rodrigue Beaubois "for an audition," but a wrist injury prevented it, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. It's not clear whether Miami would have invited Beaubois to camp or just had him in for a workout, but either way, the possibility doesn't seem to be on the table at the moment.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses the importance of a title for the Heat's potential 2014 free agents, and examines the possibility of a Joel Anthony trade.
- New GM Masai Ujiri is taking a patient approach to retooling the Raptors' roster, and tells Eric Koreen of the National Post that he hopes to eventually wake a "sleeping giant" in Toronto.
- The Bulls may not be the favorites to come out of the East, but there's certainly no shortage of talent and depth on the roster as Chicago prepares to open camp, says Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith also fields readers' questions in a mailbag.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Wizards, Hawks
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune discusses the health of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, Luol Deng's uncertain long-term future with the franchise, how Mike Dunleavy Jr. will look to mesh with the roster, and how Jimmy Butler will handle a move to starting shooting guard as five things to look at for the Bulls going into fall. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago (via Twitter) says that Chicago's official training camp roster is expected to be released tomorrow but doesn't expect Malcolm Thomas or Chris Wright to be on the list.
- Michael Lee of CSN Washington wonders if John Wall is ready to lead the Wizards to the playoffs, who will step up in the absence of Emeka Okafor, if Bradley Beal is primed for a breakout season, what to expect from Otto Porter, and the health of Nene as the team's top storylines heading into training camp.
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry wouldn't set a timeline for the return of Louis Williams (who is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery), though he did say that the eighth-year guard has been playing one-on-one games and has had no restrictions in doing so. Ferry also appeared encouraged about what Dennis Schröder can contribute to the team now as a promising prospect and said that Lucas Nogueira and Mike Muscala still need to continue their development overseas (USA Today via the Associated Press).
- As Tom Layman of the Boston Herald points out, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will look toward Avery Bradley to be the team's floor general while they wait for the return of Rajon Rondo. In another piece, a handful of college coaches had positive comments for Stevens regarding how they believe he'll be able to transition to the NBA game (NBA.com via the Associated Press).
- With Steve Mills in place as the Knicks' newest GM, Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld thinks that it will be important for Mills to start forming a strong relationship with Carmelo Anthony now, especially with the possibility that he could become a free agent this upcoming summer.
- Since arriving in New York City, Anthony has been able to build his brand and explore plenty of business opportunities, writes Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. From the sound of it, Zwerling doesn't think that Anthony will be leaving New York anytime soon, even with an opt-out clause at the end of the season.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York examines the orange and blue's current situation at small forward.
- With the rest of the NBA's power elite growing tired of the Heat's dominance, Sam Amick of USA Today delves into why the 2013/14 season could be Miami's toughest campaign for a title yet. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Bulls are especially eager to put a halt to the Heat's reign as the NBA's top dog.
Eastern Notes: Bosh, Wizards, Bucks, George
With the NBA preseason nearly right around the corner, let's catch up on a few miscellaneous items from around the Eastern Conference….
- Chris Bosh tells Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he's better equipped to handle free agency now than he was back in 2010. Bosh will be eligible to opt out of his contract next summer, but the big man suggests that if the Heat win another title next spring, he, LeBron James, or Dwyane Wade probably aren't going anywhere.
- Using the Wizards and Bucks as a couple of case studies, Mark Deeks of SBNation.com explains how not to not rebuild in the NBA.
- Asked by WUSA's Dave Owens whether GM Ernie Grunfeld is "on the hot seat" heading into this season, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis was noncommital in his reply (link via the Washington Post). "We’re all on the hot seat," Leonsis said. "I’m on the hot seat. If the ratings aren’t good, you’ll be on the hot seat, too. I mean, we live in very accountable businesses, and we’re all accountable."
- Paul George's max extension will limit the Pacers' flexibility for the next couple seasons, as Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star writes, which doesn't bode well for the odds of Lance Stephenson and Danny Granger remaining in Indiana beyond 2014. Pointer also notes that the fifth year of George's new deal is a player option.
- In a piece for HoopsHype, Charley Rosen considers whether or not George is worth a five-year max extension.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu To Join Wizards For Camp
The Wizards are working to complete their camp roster this week, having reached an agreement with a fourth invitee, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Lee tweets that Pops Mensah-Bonsu will attend camp with the Wizards, along with three other players who had previously been reported: Josh Childress, Xavier Silas, and D'or Fischer.
Mensah-Bonsu, 30, has played in parts of four NBA seasons for five different teams, but hasn't been linked to any NBA teams lately. As our archive of Mensah-Bonsu news and rumors shows, he has bounced around among international teams in recent years, finishing last season in Italy, where he recorded 8.0 PPG in nine games with EA7 Milano.
The 6'9" forward becomes the 19th man on the Wizards' roster. As I pointed out earlier today, because Washington has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books already, earning a roster spot will be an uphill battle for any of the team's camp invitees, including Mensah-Bonsu.
D’or Fischer Accepts Invite To Wizards Camp
Free agent big man D'or Fischer has accepted an invite to training camp with the Wizards, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Fischer becomes the third player to agree to a camp deal with Washington in the last several days, along with Josh Childress and Xavier Silas.
As Hoops' Rumors international player movement tracker shows, Fischer finished last season with Ukraine's BC Donetsk. appearing in 38 games for the club and averaging 11.0 PPG and 7.4 RPG. The West Virginia product has made a number of overseas stops since his days with the Mountaineers, playing in Spain, Israel, Belgium, Poland, and Germany, as well as in the D-League.
While Fischer, Childress, and Silas will be in camp with the Wizards, it won't be easy for any of them to earn a regular-season roster spot. Washington already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, so the club would have to trade or release a player to make room for one of its camp invitees.
Xavier Silas To Sign Camp Deal With Wizards
Free agent guard Xavier Silas is set to join the Wizards for training camp, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Silas will be Washington's camp invitee, joining Josh Childress, who reportedly reached an agreement with the team over the weekend.
Silas, 25, went undrafted out of Northern Illinois in 2011 after averaging 22.3 PPG in his senior year. Since then, he has had stints overseas and in the D-League, and briefly saw NBA action for the Sixers during the 2011/12 season, appearing in two games for Philadelphia.
As I noted on Friday, the Wizards are one of a handful of teams with 15 or more players on fully guaranteed contracts. That makes it unlikely that camp invitees like Childress or Silas will make the regular-season roster, but Washington has seen Chris Singleton and Emeka Okafor go down with injuries — if the team is concerned about depth, it could open the door for a small roster shakeup.