Southeast Notes: Heat, Chalmers, Webster, Howard
The Lakers may have made the bigger offseason splash, but executives around the NBA still view the Heat as the most dangerous team heading into the 2012/13 season, according to SI.com's Sam Amick. Of the 19 execs, including 10 GMs, asked by Amick to pick their favorites for the 2013 title, 15 chose the Heat, with two opting for the Lakers and two naming the Thunder. We've heard a lot about Southeast Division teams today, so we'll round it all up here, with the latest on top:
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel doesn't think the Heat are quite as willing to trade for a point guard as they were last year (Sulia link). He says he's seen reports that the Wolves might be looking to deal someone from their backcourt, and though we haven't heard anything specific, Darren Wolfson of ESPN Radio 1500 reported earlier that Minnesota is attempting to work out a trade to free cap room for Anthony Tolliver.
- Mario Chalmers, whose continued development has apparently impressed his bosses with the Heat, sees himself among the league's elite point guards, but that might be stretching it a bit, as Winderman writes.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post has more on Martell Webster's signing with the Wizards, which became official today. Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld hopes Webster can improve the team's outside shooting, but Webster, who sees himself as "more of an all-around player," doesn't want to be typecast as a three-point specialist.
- Dwight Howard's decision to fly to China for a promotional appearance two weeks after saying his injured back would not allow him to travel to Orlando for his children's basketball camp in Orlando is another sign the former Magic center wanted out of town all along, opines Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
Earlier reports:
- Shane Battier tells Andrew Beaton of The Chronicle (Duke's student newspaper) that he'd love to recruit former Duke players for the Heat: "We’ve got a pretty full roster, so we didn’t recruit any Duke guys this summer. But, if the opportunity arises, I won’t be afraid to make a phone call."
- Newest Wizard Martell Websterspoke to WashingtonWizards.com about signing with Washington and what he expects to bring to the team.
- Dwyane Wade has returned to the court for the first time since undergoing knee surgery, as Winderman writes.
- In examining four teams he believes are "set up to fail" in the 2012/13 season, Derek Page of HoopsWorld names two Southeast squads: The Bobcats and the Magic.
Wizards Sign Martell Webster
AUGUST 29, 11:01am: The Wizards have confirmed the signing via the team's website. Webster's addition brings the roster to 14 players.
AUGUST 23, 8:08pm: A source has told SI.com's Sam Amick that Webster's contract would be for one year and $1.6MM. (Twitter link)
6:51pm: The Wizards have signed free agent forward Martell Webster, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Webster was waived by the Timberwolves earlier this summer and auditioned for Washington earlier this week. In seven NBA seasons, Webster has averaged just 8.4 PPG in 394 career contests for the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves.
As our Luke Adams wrote yesterday, Webster is still just 25 years old and could really help Washington's depth at shooting guard and small forward. The Wizards still have their entire $5MM mid-level exception, but it's unlikely they use it all with this signing.
Mutual Interest Between Anthony Tolliver, Hawks
Anthony Tolliver is still looking for a team to play for in 2012/13, and it appears four options have emerged as potential destinations. Tolliver tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that the Hawks, Wizards, Pacers, and Timberwolves are the teams still in "constant contact" with him.
We've heard plenty of rumors over the last month connecting Tolliver to the Wizards and T-Wolves, and the Pacers have been mentioned as a possible suitor as well. The Hawks have only been mentioned in passing a potential fit to date, but Tolliver singled out Atlanta in his conversation with Tomasson (Sulia link), noting that he's intrigued by the possible match: "I don’t think they have a guy on their roster with that skill set with shooting and versatility."
According to Tomasson, the Hawks have "great interest" in Tolliver, who has some history with members of the team's front office — when the forward cracked Cleveland's roster as an undrafted rookie in 2007, current Hawks GM Danny Ferry and assistant GM Wes Wilcox were both with the Cavs.
Still, despite apparent mutual interest between the two sides, Tolliver's agent Larry Fox suggested earlier this month that he doesn't expect his client to sign for a minimum salary. The Hawks are over the cap and have used their full mid-level exception, so if they want to offer more than the minimum, they'd have to use their $1.957MM bi-annual exception.
Pincus On NBA Spending Power
We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:
- Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
- Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
- The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
- The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
- The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
- The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.
Wizards Eye Terrence Williams, Shawne Williams
The Wizards reportedly have interest in Martell Webster, as we heard earlier today, and they're also among a handful of teams in the mix for Michael Redd. Michael Lee of The Washington Post confirms the team's interest in those two and says the team is also considering Terrence Williams and Shawne Williams.
Lee reports the Wizards are watching a number of free agents as they consider whether to add a player to their roster, which stands at 13. They have about $3MM in cap room, but plan to sign someone for the minimum, Lee says. That would make it hard to corral Anthony Tolliver, another player on Washington's radar, since agent Larry Fox has said his client isn't “in the minimum game.”
Terrence Williams hasn't drawn much interest this summer, though a report early last month linked him to the Kings, Pistons and Suns. The Kings signed Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, this past season after he was waived by the Rockets. He put up solid numbers in 20.5 minutes per game for Sacramento, averaging 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 18 contests, but the team elected not to give him a qualifying offer before June 30th, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Shawne Williams opted in to the final year of his contract with the Blazers, worth $3.135MM, but became a free agent last month when the Blazers bought him out last month. Williams missed most of 2011/12 with a left foot injury, and was sent from the Nets to Portland in the Gerald Wallace deal at the trade deadline. He appeared in 25 games before the injury and shot poorly, with a percentage line of just .286/.241/.727 compared to the .426/.401/.837 he put up in 2010/11 with the Knicks.
Wizards Interested In Martell Webster
After being waived earlier this summer by the Timberwolves, Martell Webster is drawing interest from the Wizards, and auditioned for the team this week, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, the Wizards are on the "short list" of likely destinations for Webster.
Webster had been set to earn $5.7MM+ for the coming season, but his contract was only partially guaranteed for a presumed $600K. The ability to save $5MM+ by waiving him made Webster a logical cut as the T-Wolves looked to shed cap space in order to extend an offer sheet to Nicolas Batum and pursue other free agents.
In seven NBA seasons, Webster has averaged just 8.4 PPG in 394 career contests for the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves. Still, the former sixth overall pick is only 25 years old and has exhibited an ability to hit the outside shot over the course of his career (.374 3PT%).
The Wizards could use some size and experience at shooting guard, where Bradley Beal and Jordan Crawford are the team's current options. Webster shouldn't require a significant financial commitment, but if he's seeking more than the veteran's minimum, the Wizards do still have the full $5MM mid-level exception at their disposal.
Latest On Michael Redd
After seeing his playing time and production decline significantly due to injuries during his previous three seasons, Michael Redd had a bit of a bounceback year in Phoenix in 2011/12, averaging 8.2 points in just 15.1 minutes per game. Those numbers should be enough to earn him another NBA contract, and according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, there are a number of potential suitors in play. While Amico says the Cavs don't have interest, he lists the Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Bulls, and Thunder as possible fits (Sulia link).
I outlined yesterday why the Nuggets could use a shooter, and I could see the Wizards and Grizzlies wanting to add a little more size at the two. While we heard of the Bulls' interest earlier in the summer, I can't see them as a real possibility at this point, considering their cap situation — they'd have to trade away a player before they'd even have room to sign Redd. As for the Thunder, they could add one more backcourt player to replace Derek Fisher, as Amico notes, adding that he wouldn't be surprised to see Fisher end up in San Antonio.
Redd is probably unlikely to land more than a minimum-salary deal this offseason, which may limit his earnings, but should open up plenty of options. While a number of teams no longer have cap space or mid-level exceptions available, clubs can use the minimum salary exception as many times as they like.
Morris Almond Signs With Serbian Team
Serbian basketball team Red Star Belgrade announced that it has signed Morris Almond to a one-year deal, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Almond finished the 2011/12 year on a ten day contract with the Wizards, scoring a combined 14 points in four appearances.
The 27-year-old wasn't asked back for 2012/13 after fellow shooting guard Cartier Martin was re-signed and Bradley Beal was tabbed with the third overall pick. Almond has spent the bulk of the last three seasons in Europe and in the D-League after being drafted in the first-round by the Jazz in 2007.
Southeast Notes: Blatche, Van Gundy, Magic, Heat
It doesn't appear that 2012/13 will be a season of parity in the Southeast Division. The NBA champion Heat are the overwhelming favorites to win the division again, but the Southeast may also feature a pair of the league's worst teams — when we asked last week which club would finish 2012/13 with the worst record in the NBA, over 80% of you voted for either the Magic or Bobcats. Here are a few Monday notes out of the Southeast:
- Andray Blatche spoke to Donna Ditota of the Syracuse Post-Standard about the way his time with the Wizards ended and the next step for his career. Asked about possible interest from the Heat and Spurs, Blatche said simply expressed a desire to get back on the court: "It doesn’t matter if it’s the Heat or the Spurs or the D-League. Whatever. As long as I’m back on the court playing ball."
- Appearing on Mike Bianchi's radio show in Orlando this morning, Stan Van Gundy criticized Magic CEO Alex Martins for the way he handled the discord between Van Gundy and Dwight Howard (link via Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel).
- In a mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why it was necessary for the Heat to include 2014 opt-out clauses in the contracts for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Lakers Sign Jodie Meeks
4:37pm: Meeks' agent David Bauman tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that his client could earn up to $2MM in the second year of his deal, via incentives. In order for that to be possible under cap rules, I believe there'd have to be incentives in year one that Meeks would have to achieve first.
MONDAY, 3:31pm: The Lakers have officially announced the signing of Meeks, tweets Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
FRIDAY, 3:24pm: The Lakers and Jodie Meeks have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth about $3MM, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The second year of the contract is a team option, according to Bresnahan.
Meeks was reportedly uninterested in signing for the veteran's minimum, while the Lakers were reluctant to use their full $3.09MM mid-level exception, so it seems the two sides reached a compromise. Meeks' deal will pay him more than the minimum, but only a portion of Los Angeles' mid-level.
The acquisition of Meeks is far from the Lakers' biggest move of the day, but it's a solid signing that helps solidify an ever-improving bench and provides some wing depth behind Kobe Bryant. When I examined some of the Lakers' free agent options last week, I suggested Meeks could be the best fit for the team, given his skill-set and likely price tag. The 24-year-old is a career 37.1% three-point shooter in three seasons with the Bucks and Sixers.
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Meeks received larger offers from the Bucks and Wizards, but wanted to compete for a title with the Lakers (Twitter link).